Before I knew it, three days had passed.
The sunless life in the underground prison made it so Chen Lun could only gauge the passage of time by the number of times and the frequency with which the guard delivered meals.
During this period, he had made no small amount of progress.
Every day, he was taken to Cell No. 7 to interpret the diary, while Floey was responsible for standing by and recording the "mythical history" he dictated.
As more and more content was recorded, Will's mood gradually became less volatile.
It seemed that the monk was beginning to see a bright future full of hope, and his spirits improved day by day.
But Chen Lun just couldn't stand to see him that content and immediately slowed the pace, sharing less content by the day, much like certain authors whose writings became increasingly brief.
Will felt like strangling Chen Lun on the spot, but he dared not.
Because, so far, Chen Lun was the only one who could survive in front of the diary, and the only one who could "interpret" its contents.
Will even had to wait on him hand and foot, lest his impatience caused Chen Lun to read too much and lead to an irreversible accident.
He was firmly in Chen Lun's grip.
Chen Lun had advanced the hidden Beast Tamer's Handbook within the diary to more than halfway, amassing about five hundred experience points in various small increments.
Beyond that, his luck exploded again as he comprehended another exclusive skill of the Beast Tamer—
[Animal Mimicry LV1]
Skill Description: By spending a long time with animals, you've learned to perceive certain techniques and traits from them, thereby obtaining superhuman strength that humans do not possess.
Humans have limits, so stop trying to be human!
But remember this, you're supposed to learn their strengths, not their quirks or "specialties."
If you have a genuine interest in things like headless fish or dead crabs then, pretend I didn't say anything...
Clang.
The prison door was opened once again.
Floey walked in, holding a tray; Chen Lun stopped his push-ups and contemplation to get up and greet her.
"You're here."
Chen Lun first peeked into the corridor to check for any guards nearby and, finding none, he took the bread and mushroom soup from her hands and thanked her.
He took advantage of the guard's slacking off periods to secretly exercise, and even though this did little to boost his attributes, in his current dire situation, every little bit helped.
Prison workouts were nothing to be ashamed of.
In his previous life, he worked out at home in the same way, and it worked brilliantly, his body deteriorated by the day.
In truth, it was just because his hereditary disease was so stubborn that exercise was no longer effective, and his fate—when he would die—remained unchanged.
"You're doing weird exercises again?"
Floey sat down beside Chen Lun and watched as he voraciously tore at the bread.
These past few days, she would occasionally take advantage of the times the guards sneaked out for a drink to come over, and with increased contact with Chen Lun, she grew more and more curious about this man.
In such an environment, he didn't seem to be afraid and even managed to convey a sense of optimism and positivity to her.
Strange indeed.
But Floey enjoyed this feeling.
Ever since her brother died, she had been abandoned by her cold-hearted parents and was eventually sold to the Red Apple Church.
Everything she saw and heard was among the darkest and most bloodstained in the world.
Plus the malicious words from the guards, the crude and harsh languages of Monk Will every day, and the occasional glimpse of evil intent in Priest Carter's eyes, had made Floey, already pessimistic and numb, even more desperate.
But after getting close to Chen Lun, she found the sense of peace and security she once had when she was with her brother.
Chen Lun ate quickly and choked, managing to swallow his food only after drinking a hot sip of soup.
"Yeah, exercising."
He put down his bowl, turned his head to look at the girl beside him, and felt an indescribable, strange emotion.
She was a significant figure in the future—one that could make players cry out for their fathers and mothers.
Chen Lun had seen more than one call to arms post on the forums attempting to rally players to fight her, but every time they ended up soundly defeated, in total disarray.
No matter if you were a top-ranked player or a wealthy major guild, all were but flies to be swatted in front of the renowned Dead Silent Nun.
Perhaps in the future, players might conquer Floey, but in that version of the game, she was the ceiling, the insurmountable challenge, and remained so for several versions after.
It wasn't just players who grew stronger; NPCs did too.
Era of Mystery was a complete and authentic world, where every character had their own trajectory in life, their own growth. They were flesh and blood, had their own souls.
This was the enduring charm of the game all along.
Even so, no matter how often Floey tormented the players, they still sought her out, day after day, as if she were their first love.
It wasn't just because she had stunning looks and a first-class temperament, but also because of her regrettably tragic backstory...
Alright, the vast majority of players were admittedly drawn to her because of her beauty.
In that major update, countless players harbored complex feelings towards Floey, a mixture of love and hate they could not easily forget.
Chen Lun was no exception.
But what he cared about most was Floey's miserable fate.
He knew that Floey's strength was inseparable from the "A-grade Mysterious Object, Sun-avoiding Potted Plant."
And this was the crux of the tragedy.
Floey had been cultivated from the very beginning to serve as the vessel for the "Sun-avoiding Potted Plant," a pawn of the church.
They had ruthlessly snuffed out the innocence of a young girl and crudely forged her into a humanoid weapon.
This also resulted in Floey's eventual erasure of personality, turning into a soulless shell at the mercy of the Red Apple Church's Sharp Blade.
Chen Lun had once lamented this, but he was powerless to change it.
Because this was the setting of the game, and Floey's destiny had been determined from the moment the players entered its world.
"But now, I can change her destiny."
Chen Lun thought to himself.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Floey blinked in surprise, then quickly averted her gaze.
"Are you planning to escape from here?"
"Yes."
Chen Lun admitted bluntly and then fell silent for a moment.
"I plan to take you with me."
"!!"
Floey's gaze snapped back to Chen Lun, her eyes widening.
"Don't look at me like that; I'm serious."
Chen Lun wore a serious expression.
"I can tell that you don't really like it here, but you feel trapped, unable to leave."
Floey remained silent.
He raised his palm, bent his index finger, and moved it slightly, a glimmer of light flashing at his fingertip.
Then he opened his mouth slightly and emitted a sharp, squeaky sound, identical to that of a rodent.
Quickly, under Floey's astonished gaze, seven or eight fist-sized black rats swarmed from the corners and crevices of the cell, gathering at Chen Lun's feet.
Squeak, squeak, squeak!
One of the rats jumped into Chen Lun's palm, rearing up and squeaking at him.
Chen Lun responded, and his small companions at his feet occasionally added their input, prompting him to nod in reply.
"They say there are three layers here, a total of fourteen iron doors, with The Great Gate leading to the surface being especially sturdy. Also, there are more than twenty guardians scattered about."
Floey covered her small mouth, and it took her a while to confirm softly,
"You... are a Transcendent?"
Chen Lun nodded and waved to disperse the group of rats.
"Now I believe you can take me away... What do you need me to do?"
Floey pursed her lips, her small hand hidden beneath the red robe clutching tightly.
Ever since her brother died, she hadn't experienced such a surge of emotion, not even when her parents betrayed her and had remained silent through it all.
Only those who have been through the darkness yearn more for the light.
Chen Lun leaned in closer and began to whisper in Floey's ear.
"I need you to do this... whispering indistinct sounds..."
Floey felt the warmth by her ear, slightly uncomfortable, her cheeks beginning to flush.
Yet at the same time, the light in her eyes grew brighter.