Chapter 45: Don’t be fooled!

Lin Xi, if nothing unexpected happened, should already be dead.

Before Lin Ran transmigrated, she had already developed a severe chronic illness.

It was a terminal disease even modern medicine couldn’t do anything about.

After all these years since transmigrating, if time flowed at the same speed on both sides, her illness shouldn’t have allowed her to live until now.

Even if she survived, her age shouldn’t have remained the same as back then.

It was impossible for her to appear before him again in the form of a young girl.

Moreover, why would she appear here?

Countless possibilities flashed through Lin Ran’s mind.

An endless stream of chaotic thoughts flooded his brain.

Was it an illusion?

Some kind of spirit-type monster attack?

Did she transmigrate with him?

His own hallucination?

Or was it some kind of spirit-type monster?

But, no matter what—

That face was the longing etched deep within his soul.

“……”

The girl seemed to want to say something.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

At that moment, all Lin Ran’s calmness and analysis were thrown out the window.

He almost instinctively rushed forward, trembling as he reached out, wanting to touch the face he had longed for day and night.

As an older brother, she was his family.

He just wanted to give her a hug, a hug that was long overdue.

Even if she was just an illusion created by a monster, he would accept it.

She was his younger sister, his family.

No matter what the reason, Lin Ran would do the same.

However, things always turned out differently than he expected.

At the moment of contact, his hand passed through Lin Xi’s body without any resistance.

It was empty.

He grabbed at nothing.

She was like a projection with no physical form.

After Lin Ran touched her, her figure turned into a cloud of smoke and dust, only re-forming after more than ten seconds.

If she hadn’t turned back again and looked at him with those complicated eyes, Lin Ran would have thought he had simply gone insane after the apocalypse.

“Don’t be fooled…”

It was her voice.

Clear, with a trace of urgency and helplessness.

But before the words were finished, she vanished as if she had never existed.

“Lin Ran? What’s going on over there?”

From next door, Chen Jing’s slightly concerned voice came.

She had obviously noticed Lin Ran’s commotion.

She sensed that Lin Ran had suddenly stood up from the bed, but had no idea what happened.

But Lin Ran didn’t reply to her.

He just stood there in a daze, hand still outstretched.

In his mind, the words “Don’t be fooled” echoed again and again.

He was thinking.

Don’t be fooled?

Fooled by what?

Did it mean this [Lin Xi] was an illusion created by a monster?

A monster created an illusion, but because the imitation was too real and the target didn’t want to deceive him, a contradiction occurred?

No… not necessarily.

Lin Ran suddenly turned his head, looking in Chen Jing’s direction.

Maybe… Lin Xi was talking about her?

Just now, when Chen Jing claimed her ability was Succubus, Lin Ran had thought about it.

Qi Xiaoyu had said that he was possessed.

And among the Succubus’ abilities, legend included spiritualization and possessing others’ bodies!

Unfortunately, he couldn’t see her face, so his mind-reading ability couldn’t be used.

The whole Lin Xi incident had happened too suddenly; he hadn’t thought of using mind-reading before she disappeared.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

In any case, this [Don’t be fooled] had two possible meanings, and Lin Ran couldn’t determine which one it was yet.

After getting some information from the Student Council, he planned to return to the cabin.

Unknowingly, night had already fallen.

Every time he switched maps, something big seemed to happen.

Fortunately, this time nothing happened.

The little dolls were peacefully farming, the mines were running as usual.

Lim was sunbathing on the second floor, Vera was working in the alchemy workshop.

Fatty Wang was weightlifting, Scarface was being extorted by An Mengyue.

Zhou Qingqing was gathering intel, Lin Illusion Box was sleeping.

Everyone had their own lives.

Back in Qi Xiaoyu’s house, Lin Ran compared the information with him.

“Indeed… Chen Jing is the most suspicious, but we can’t rule out the possibility of other minor Student Council members being behind it. We’ll still need to verify with them face-to-face soon…”

Mushroom-girl Qi Xiaoyu went through the intel one by one and arrived at the same conclusion as Lin Ran.

But in the end, the crucial issue of motive still had no clues.

Even if Chen Jing did it, what was her purpose?

No idea at all.

The best way was to quickly raise his Love Saint level to 3, use a Level 3 portal, and confront Chen Jing face to face.

But…

Lin Ran opened the system without thinking.

[Host: Lin Ran]

[Race: Human, Slime, Puppet (Multi-race coexisting form)]

[Love Saint Level: LV.2 (Experience required: 150/3000)]

[Status: Healthy, slightly malnourished (Eat less instant noodles)]

[Attributes: Strength·8.7, Agility·8.8, Spirit·9.9, Charm·11, Luck·-11]

[Free Attribute Points: 3]

[Skills: The God of Love Cupid’s Aversion (LV.MAX), Love Detection Eye, Portal (LV.2), Affection Handgun (lv.2), Talent Appraisal Eye, Frictional Electricity]

[Possessed Items: Mine*17, Farmland*8, Pasture*3, Logging Field*5, Mill*1, Energy Sniper Rifle, City-Building Goblin Worker Summoning Horn]

Damn!

The upgrade requirement was too much.

He almost blurted out a curse.

This damn system’s level-up requirements were outrageous!

The worst part was that if the Love Detection Eye showed compatibility below a certain threshold, even maxed-out affection wouldn’t grant a reward.

Take Tiny, for example—affection had maxed out ages ago, but the system had never given a reward.

And for Lim, Vera, and the others, since their affection was already maxed, it was nearly impossible to further raise the Love Saint level.

In other words, he was stuck!

“Damn it!”

Lin Ran cursed softly.

It looked like after the third monster siege, he’d have to let Scarface bring some local monster girls from his territory for emotional exchange, or else he couldn’t even level up.

But why did this feel like some tyrant forcibly recruiting maidens for a harem…

Lin Ran mocked himself, trying to pull his mind back to reality.

Hmm… Why was it so noisy nearby?

Was that Qi Xiaoyu’s voice?

He sounded so anxious.

“Lin Ran! Wake up! The second wave has started! What’s wrong with you!! Why can’t you wake up!!”

Lin Ran snapped his eyes open, only to find darkness before him.

His chest felt crushed under a boulder, unable to breathe!

He opened his mouth wide, desperately trying to suck in even a wisp of air.

The suffocating terror and powerlessness swept through him instantly.

It was Qi Xiaoyu’s urgent voice that pulled him back.

Lin Ran snapped his eyes open, only to find darkness before him.

His chest felt crushed under a boulder, unable to breathe!

He opened his mouth wide, desperately trying to suck in even a wisp of air.

The suffocating powerlessness swept over him.

Only then did he realize—

His breathing had been stripped away.

Just like Zhou Qingqing and Liu Yan before.

Finally, it was his turn!!!