Perfect One

第6話 Why is your face so red?

Night fell, and the inky darkness quietly enveloped the land. Stars flickered weakly in the vast sky, like countless mysterious eyes watching everything in the world. The moon, like a noble queen, hung in the center of the sky, casting a cold light. Its radiance pierced through the clouds, bringing a faint glow to the earth.

All was silent, as if the entire world had entered a sweet dream. A gentle breeze brought a slight chill, rustling the leaves with a soft sound.

Mo Ying, along with Hu Tong and Chen Xiao, arrived at a secluded villa. Exhausted, they sat in the spacious living room, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility, while Hu Tong was in the kitchen cooking wild boar. Mo Ying, in the warmth of this cozy environment, fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke, the table was filled with barbecued wild boar, exuding a delicious aroma. Everyone savored the meal while reminiscing about the thrilling battle they had just experienced.

Seeing Mo Ying awake, Wang Jingyi smiled and introduced herself, "Hello, Mo Ying. I know you; all your information was gathered by Lin Yi and me. My name is Wang Jingyi, and I’m happy to fight alongside you in this crisis."

Lin Yi also extended a friendly hand, "I’m Lin Yi. From now on, we’re teammates."

Mo Ying, feeling a bit uneasy, responded politely, "Nice to meet you. If it weren't for your timely arrival, we would have been in big trouble."

Hearing the awkward conversation among the three young people, Hu Tong cracked a few jokes, instantly lightening the mood. Under this cheerful atmosphere, Mo Ying relaxed, and they all started sharing their experiences and skills. Mo Ying, curious, asked Wang Jingyi and Lin Yi about their abilities.

Lin Yi proudly said, "My talent is called Wings. Like this!" As he spoke, a pair of wings sprouted from his back, glowing with a kaleidoscope of colors, each feather resembling a meticulously crafted piece of art.

Wang Jingyi smiled and explained, "My talent is called Convergence. It can combine different things, including abilities. Today, I combined Lin Yi’s and Chen Xiao’s abilities into Captain Hu Tong."

Listening, Mo Ying felt admiration and yearning for their abilities. "Do you know what my ability does? So far, I only know its side effects and its name."

"Plunder allows you to increase your own strength through killing. When the wild boar herd came today, if you hadn't finished off the first boar, would you have made it to the rooftop?" Hu Tong raised an eyebrow.

"Look at your arm; there should be a black line. This line is like an experience bar in a game. Every time you kill a creature, the line grows a bit. When it exceeds the length of your arm, it resets, and your abilities will improve," Hu Tong explained.

Mo Ying looked at the black line on his arm, which seemed to emit a dark red glow. Indeed, when he finished off the wild boar, aside from the inexplicable thrill, he felt suddenly energized, like waking up refreshed from a deep sleep.

So, this is what my talent is? Can I enhance my abilities by killing small animals?

Seeing through Mo Ying’s thoughts, Hu Tong warned, "You’d better not try to improve your abilities by killing ants or other small creatures. The experience you gain is pitifully small, and it only increases your desire for slaughter."

Hearing Hu Tong’s words, Mo Ying had to abandon the idea.

Two days ago, Mo Ying was just an ordinary teenager. Though he sometimes felt out of place, he always thought it was just adolescence acting up. Two days later, he became a "civil servant," met a group of people seemingly like him, and learned things he had never heard of before. Everything seemed to have changed, yet nothing really had.

A month later, Mo Ying, as usual, commuted between school and his shabby rented room. He often wondered if it had all been a dream, but occasionally meeting Wang Jingyi and Lin Yi at school reminded him it wasn’t.

"Hey! The captain says to meet tonight at the villa. Wang Jingyi and I are heading over. Want to join?" Lin Yi, appearing behind Mo Ying without him noticing, threw an arm around his neck.

Mo Ying, nearly choking, could only nod in agreement.

"You’re so antisocial. You never greet me when we meet. Now I talk to you, and you’re still silent." Lin Yi pretended to be angry, tightening his arm around Mo Ying’s neck.

"......"

"Still not talking?"

"......"

"Why is your face so red? Are you that shy?"

"......"