No new tasks appeared, and worried his neighborhood reputation was already on thin ice, Lin Li quickly returned home with his electric mosquito swatter in hand.
After washing his hands, which were covered with remnants of "Blood Crow" corpses, Lin Li went out to the bushes, took off his sleeves, and held his hand out for a bit.
The title worked.
Although it was a title specifically aimed at the Blood Crow tribe, in those five minutes, he hadn't seen a single mosquito near him—a practically impossible scenario in this environment.
It seemed even his title could "function properly" with the help of the system's bugs.
He went upstairs, washed up, and lay on his bed. Looking at the mosquito bites left on his skin, he used his fingernail to carve a little cross on each one as a way to "ward off" the itch before tallying up his day's gains.
For now, he had 100 unusable system currency, one flashy title, and, most importantly, a 200% increase in his spiritual energy absorption rate.
"Spiritual energy, come to me!"
Lin Li took a deep breath, held it, blinked, then finally let it out when he could no longer hold it.
"..."
As much as he hated to admit it, he hadn't felt anything from the rewards he'd gained after completing both tasks.
Shouldn't a physique improvement give at least a little satisfaction? Why did he feel nothing?
"Is it because I have no idea how to absorb spiritual energy? So zero, no matter how much it's multiplied, is still zero?" Lin Li concluded.
"A proper cultivation system should start with a high-level Qi Condensation method as the first reward..."
"So how am I supposed to absorb spiritual energy?"
Lin Li tried searching online for mystical breathing techniques and even attempted meditation.
No luck.
"Wait," Lin Li looked up suddenly, "Am I overlooking something crucial?"
"I didn't transmigrate. Isn't it possible… that there simply isn't any spiritual energy in the modern world?"
He fell silent.
Even if he had the world's most hypersensitive spiritual energy receptors, even if he eventually mastered a supreme Qi Absorption method, if there was no spiritual energy in the modern world, it would still amount to zero.
After all, as the saying goes, "You can't cook without rice."
"..."
The more Lin Li thought about it, the more he realized the modern world likely lacked spiritual energy; otherwise, treasures like those in novels would have appeared already.
So...
His spiritual sensitivity was useless, the currency couldn't be spent, and his total earnings today amounted to nothing more than an anti-mosquito aura. He'd become a walking insect repellent.
He felt an urge to pay a "personal visit" to the system's family lineage.
Heartbroken, Lin Li spread himself out on his bed, staring up in despair.
"Buzz~~~"
Just then, a mosquito landed on his nose.
"...?"
"Smack!"
"Bro, isn't my aura still active? How dare a Blood Crow get near me?"
Lin Li carefully examined the mosquito corpse in his hand, then his pupils shrank in horror.
Damn it! A tiger mosquito!
The Asian tiger mosquito, distinguishable by its white stripes, carries more viruses, its bites itch more, and it takes longer to heal!
Then he remembered: his "Blood Crow Slayer" title only affected weaker Blood Crows. It was useless against the stronger ones!
Sh*t!
If regular mosquitoes were "Lesser Blood Crows," then this tiger mosquito was at least a "Greater Blood Crow"! That's right—it was a certified top-tier member of the Blood Crow tribe.
The aura didn't work on it!
Lin Li got up in silence and plugged in the electric mosquito repellent.
Then he threw himself heavily onto his bed. This tiger mosquito had landed one last slap on the day's fragile flicker of hope.
He was less effective than bug spray.
At first, Lin Li thought his future would be smooth sailing, but now he sensed... it might be just a tad more complicated than he'd planned.
Lin Li picked up his phone and saw that Bai Bufan had already sent him the breakfast order and money for tomorrow.
Lin Li: "Bro, about buying you breakfast—I was joking. Forget I said anything. Rice rolls with egg, six bucks, not a penny less."
Bai Bufan: "? Are you even human?"
Lin Li: "Life is like that. Plans can't keep up with reality."
Bai Bufan: "Fine, Grandpa's made money in the stock market lately, so I won't fuss over six or eight bucks. Here's four more, a tip, Little Lin."
Bai Bufan: "'Wishing you great fortune.'"
Lin Li: "?"
Lin Li: "You? Trading stocks? Are you even old enough to be playing with the market like that?"
Bai Bufan was only sixteen and couldn't open an account. Even if he were using a family member's, trading hours overlapped with school, and Lin Li had never seen him sneak his phone out to check stock charts. It wasn't like he was one of those guys flexing with stock charts on the class board.
Bai Bufan: "Shows what you know! Not only do I trade stocks, I've never lost a penny."
Lin Li: "Seriously? How do you manage that?"
Bai Bufan: "Haha, would I lie to you? As my good bro, let me give you my exclusive secret!"
Bai Bufan: "First, join every investor chat group you can find. Study stock tips diligently and pick up all the insider knowledge."
Bai Bufan: "When someone's stock hits the limit up, congratulate them and make them send a celebration red envelope. When someone's stock plummets, console them so they'll send a good-luck red envelope."
Bai Bufan: "And the most important rule: never, ever buy any stocks."
Bai Bufan: "Haha, the market was bullish today, so I managed to grab a few dozen bucks in red envelopes tonight. Feeling great."
"..."
Lin Li: "Bai Bufan, I have to admit—you're a damn stock-trading genius."
Bai Bufan: "Talent and hard work, bro. Both are essential."
Setting his phone aside, Lin Li felt his spirits lift a bit as he resumed planning his path forward.
Things weren't entirely hopeless. He still had the [Shop] tab, which was locked for now, but it would probably have useful items once it opened.
Even the second mission's reward included "spirit stones."
If spirit stones contained spiritual energy, then he could start cultivating with their help.
One day, he'd cultivate to the point where he could generate spiritual energy internally and sustain himself.
But right now, Lin Li's face was twisted.
Why? Because he'd just noticed something about the mission to destroy the Hehuan demon lair: the four-character requirement—"step into the fray."
From the two missions he'd completed so far, Lin Li had learned how the system operated.
If it told you to do something personally, you had to do it personally.
If it said "step into the fray," you had to step into the fray.
But... this was an anti-vice mission. How the hell was he supposed to "step into the fray" here?
Alright, sure, actually stepping into the fray wasn't that hard to imagine. But was it really appropriate?
If he ended up getting swept up in a raid, how would he ever explain it?
If he couldn't explain it, even if his cultivation path became clear, his life would forever be shrouded in darkness.
After an evening of swatting mosquitoes, Lin Li's arms felt sore. Drowsiness crept in as he thought, and he eventually drifted off to sleep.
His last words before falling asleep:
"System, I fu*king hate your entire damn family…"