The icy girl wielding a long knife stood at over 170 centimeters tall, her flowing black hair cascading down to her waist. Though I could only see her back, her long, slender legs and perfectly rounded hips easily rated above ninety-nine. Her delicate, fair feet were bare against the ground, walking lightly with a spring in her step.
This girl was infinitely close to perfection! The Night Woman lay lifeless in the swimming pool, and the overwhelming scent of blood had stained the water crimson.
The few men and women who had been swimming inside frowned and left the pool. Only I, the oblivious fool, remained transfixed by the sight of that girl's back, until I choked on the bloodied water and finally remembered I needed to scramble back to the shore.
"What is this thing?" A small glimmer caught my eye, seemingly having flown out from the Night Woman. I reached out and gently grasped it in my hand. It was a delicately crafted golden beetle. At first, I thought it was alive, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was merely a piece of jewelry.
After finally hauling myself out of the pool, Julianna called out from behind, "You little lecher, you're quite lucky! Ordinary people who slay a hundred Night Women wouldn't find something like this. This is the Holy Light Beetle!"
"The Holy Light Beetle?"
"Yes, it's a powerful weapon, a rare treasure for someone at your stage!" I shook off the water from my body, feeling a surge of excitement as I quietly muttered, "Oh my God!" The Book of Demons appeared in my hand.
Flipping to the treasure section, I indeed saw that I had gained an item, complete with a detailed description. The Holy Light Beetle, a level-three treasure, grants its bearer three skills: Holy Light Bullet, Holy Flame, and Holy Power Shield. The Holy Light Bullet, a foundational spell of the Holy Power system, inflicts substantial damage on undead, demonic, bloodline, and spiritual beings, while proving ineffective against pure-souled entities. It requires 5 points of Holy Power or 9 points of mental energy to activate. The Holy Flame, also a foundational spell, inflicts similar damage under the same conditions, consuming 8 points of Holy Power or 15 points of mental energy per second. The Holy Power Shield is a defensive spell that reflects substantial damage back to undead, demonic, bloodline, and spiritual beings, providing defensive effects against all attacks, consuming 25 points of Holy Power or 50 points of mental energy per second.
"I don't have any mental energy or Holy Power; this thing is utterly useless!" I flipped through the pages randomly and happened upon the ability section, and to my astonishment, I discovered my mental energy was a striking 32. My intelligence remained unchanged, while my strength had increased to (Strength 180 (×10)). The newly acquired skills—Holy Light Bullet, Holy Flame, and Holy Power Shield—were all above board. However, I was baffled by the 32 beside my mental energy.
Recalling my battle with the Night Woman, a sudden realization struck me: why could my fingers injure the Night Woman, who was impervious to bullets? Although the wound wasn't severe?
"Could it be that in moments of crisis, my potential bursts forth, allowing me to strike the Night Woman? Do I possess such potential?" Three questions ran through my mind, and I knew I had to ask Julianna.
However, as Julianna approached and examined the information in my Book of Demons, she smiled and said, "It seems you have the lineage of high mental energy! Your ancestors must have undergone some extraordinary experiences to result in this anomaly during battle. In my over ten thousand years as a commentator, I've only seen three individuals who could enhance their strength in combat."
"I'm definitely pure human!"
"Maybe not so pure!" After several rounds of debate, I quickly conceded. To be honest, I wasn't very clear about my ancestry.
My understanding of lineage only reached back to my grandfather. "With my current mental energy, I can unleash three Holy Light Bullets, sustain two seconds of Holy Flame, and half a second of Holy Power Shield. But what exactly is this Demon Island? How can such strange things exist?"
"Holy Light Bullet! Holy Flame! Holy Power Shield… I just want to go home right now, not adventure in this bizarre world!" I shouted, but before I could vent my frustration, Julianna tugged me toward the hotel.
This hotel was even larger than I had imagined, and the "people" entering and exiting the lobby all had peculiar appearances, with over seventy percent being non-human. Even those who resembled humans bore fierce expressions, making them appear extremely dangerous.
When I spotted Julianna, who had somehow changed into a front desk service uniform and made a funny face at me, I felt a wave of weakness wash over me and shouted, "Julianna, tell me how I can get back! I don't want to stay here for another second!"
"Returning is quite simple! Just find a Wish Fruit and swallow it to return to the real world."
"Swallowing a Wish Fruit allows me to go back! But how can I get one?" Julianna shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "You can either steal it or buy it! After all, this is a lawless world, and you can use any means you like."
This answer was as good as no answer, which greatly frustrated me, but I had no way to deal with Julianna.
Remembering the item that the special police officer named Fang Baichuan had shoved into my mouth, I suddenly had another question: "Did I come here because I swallowed a Wish Fruit?"
"Exactly!" Julianna answered decisively.
But this led to another question: "Why would anyone want to come to such a dangerous place as Demon Island?"
"Everyone has their own reasons for coming to Demon Island. I, as a demon lady, cannot provide an answer. However, most people come here seeking something unattainable outside, like—eternal life! If you have no better ideas, perhaps you should live here for a while. I would be willing to be your guide. Without power, you will find it incredibly difficult to navigate Demon Island. I can offer you bodyguard services and teach you how to master power, in return for half of what you earn in the future."