Seriously, You Even Have Skill Mechanics?

"It really is a home remedy? How come I can't believe it?"

Gu Ling questioned while slurping at her iced coffee. The policewoman fought with the straw as she tried to extricate a chunk of ice that had unwittingly gotten stuck in the plastic tube, and her brows immediately fastened themselves into a spectacular 囧.

"It really is a home remedy!" Du Lang argued with a cross expression, and slammed the plastic coffee cup onto the table.

"Don't even think of placing your hands on it either. I won't give it to you!"

Well… if Sibyl was a home remedy…

The sound of ice and chilled coffee sloshing roughly in a cup startled the remainder of the customers of the coffee shop, and Gu Ling and Du Lang quickly discovered themselves to be at the center of attention from at least thirty pairs of gluttonous eyes. The handsome man and beautiful woman found themselves mute at the voracious glares emanating from the group of young men and women, and Du Lang found his lips begin to twitch in angst.

"You… really won't give it to me?"

Gu Ling adopted a different approach, for she knew with her many years of experience working alongside him, Du Lang would hardly crack to any intimidation tactic. Hence, she pushed her lips into a pout and swooned onto the circular table, gazing up towards him with a pair of teary eyes. The beautiful image of an alluring, wronged woman was swiftly completed by the experienced policewoman, and Du Lang found himself in the reenactment of a soppy Korean romance drama.

"I won't give it to you, so don't think of honey-trapping me," he sighed, and rubbed at his brows with his thumbs.

"The remedy, my sister forbade it from sharing it with anyone else save for my future wife."

This time, Du Lang had pulled out his ace card. Hopefully, this woman of high standing morals, could retain her dignity and –

"Future wife? Then all I have to do is marry you, right?"

Pu!!!

Du Lang immediately spat out the coffee that had just touched his tongue, and bitterly choked on a small cube of ice that had slipped through. The retired journalist glared at the gleaming policewoman with a pair of baleful eyes, wishing he could take her tape her mouth shut. But alas, Gu Ling had just begun her assault.

"Du Lang, Du Lang, don't think of hiding behind your sister this time, ah," Gu Ling gloated with a triumphant smile.

"Don't think that I don't know of the rules your sister established for your marriage. A woman that must remain wholly faithful to you, remaining a virgin maiden without any relationships. She must be financially stable, and must have a kind, righteous personality but one that also cares for her partner… She also mustn't have any accompanying baggage or act in vain…"

The journalist stared at her, utterly horrified.

"How about it? I think I fit those criteria, no?"

How about it!? This woman, how dare she say the words 'how about it?' with such an innocent smile!?

(ꐦ𝅒_𝅒).

"Absolutely not! Gu Ling, you forget about this matter, this instant!"

Of course he knew about his sister's almost insane criteria for his marriage! Certainly, Gu Ling fit most of the criteria that his awe-inspiring and heavenly elder sister had determined for a wholesome marriage, but she forgot the most significant matter.

Age!

How could a thirty-five year old woman be saying such words that even a modernized, liberal teenager would blush and hesitate with all of their might!? No, it was equally certain that his elder sister's criteria could never be fulfilled, especially when such young women didn't exist anymore in Jingdou…

Du Lang shook his head with all of his might, driving those thoughts from his mind. When he regained clarity, he raised his head to discover that Gu Ling had similarly returned to reasonability. The policewoman took a final sip from her iced coffee, and directed a keen stare filled with warning.

"I've heard of the circumstances of your early retirement. <Phoenix News> wasn't particularly ethical when they announced your departure," Gu Ling tapped the table with a frown.

"Be careful – many corporations and families that you once smeared will now make their move towards destroying your entire life to claim their revenge. We in the police can't offer much protection to freelancers, since there aren't any laws regulating this sort of conflict."

Du Lang briefly pondered in silence for a moment, but cleared his thoughts with a light smile.

"Any suggestions?"

"Stay low, and don't seek employment in Jingdou or Quanzhou," Gu Ling drew circles on the varnished surface.

"While you are still an individual, you will retain certain rights and protections under the law. Once you become employed, they'll take as much advantage as possible – oh, and ensure to withdraw your funds and store them somewhere outside of Jingdou as soon as possible."

Migrating his funds to overseas investments and banking firms?

"There's no problem with my funds. They won't get a lead on me due to that."

Du Lang revealed a light sneer as he tipped the plastic cup towards Gu Ling. His fingers lightly warped around the edge of the circular table in annoyance, but he didn't allow any sentiment to display itself on his countenance.

Ever since his Elder Sister had grasped the system of international economics, she had mandated that his income in the future was to be decentralized. That wasn't to imply that either she or himself were unpatriotic or unsupportive of their country, but that it simply was a foolish idea to place all eggs in a single basket – especially when bureaucracy was involved.

During his almost decade-long career, Du Lang had ensured that the funds available in domestic banking institutions amounted to a mere 200,000 RMB. The remainder from his salary and settlement payments obtained from the massive corporations and families of Jingdou were distributed across private international institutions.

"Officer Gu, no need to worry. In Hua, I'm only recognized as a poor, obedient taxpayer. Besides, nobody will recognize this face anymore, will they?"

Du Lang stood and tossed away his coffee in a perfect parabolic arc, causing many of the seated females in the shop to blush with adoration. Gu Ling immediately caught onto the young girls' fantasies and harrumphed with a cold smile, and followed him outside.

"You really won't give me the remedy? Not only does it make you look more handsome, you seem three – no, four years younger."

"I can't give it to you. You know about my sister, no?"

And he couldn't just ask Sibyl to perform a bodily purge on Gu Ling, now, could he?

Du Lang began the slow and tedious walk home, and soon preoccupied himself with the dreadful task of ignoring other people's infatuated and fawning gazes. He pulled out his phone as though to mimic a conversation, but directed his attention towards the black sphere hovering besides his waist.

"Sibyl, do other people notice your presence?"

[The host needs not worry. The presence of Sibyl as well as the host's interactions are concealed from the public gaze.]

The female voice had settled from its former cold, curt tone. Du Lang felt that he had caught onto a hint of affection from the words resounding in his mind, but shook his head to drive the unusual thoughts away.

"If they can't see me, then that's perfect," Du Lang raised his lips into a helpless smile, before returning to his cautious state.

"Then, can you explain more about this soul artifact you mentioned? The <Soul Parrying Dagger> - is that what you called it?"

[A soul artifact refers to the physical manifestation of the Platform configured to the host, and is customizable by the host during the initial connection of the host. The <Soul Parrying Dagger> was once owned by a previous host of the Curse Platform, and was configured around a balanced mixture of providing adequate offensive and defensive output."

A legacy inherited not from his predecessor Er Gouming, but the ancestor above him?

"A mixture of offense and defense… meaning a mobile defense? Since you mentioned that it was customizable, what are the <Soul Parrying Dagger's innate characteristics?"

[In idle configuration, the <Soul Parrying Dagger> resides as a spherical object, and is capable of unleashing chains to imprison and strike at the body and soul of any target. The host may directly utilize the dagger as a physical weapon, or manipulate the elements. Idle and direct configurations are not autonomous.]

The black sphere floating around him was the <Soul Parrying Dagger>? Was it not also the physical manifestation of Sibyl?

"How do I use the artifact, then?"

[Direct manipulation of the <Soul Parrying Dagger> is prohibited until the host attains Intermediate <Freeform> Privilege. The host must work hard.]

Sibyl had immediately lapsed into the cold secretary's persona, causing sweat to trickle down Du Lang's neck. Du Lang fiercely rubbed at his nape, and fixated a stern glance towards the floating sphere.

"But one of the curse models I inherited stated that it had to be used in tandem with the <Soul Parrying Dagger>. How does that work, then?"

[Curse models that require direct manipulation of space or delayed conditions require a designatory action by the host or combined action with the <Soul Parrying Dagger>. The requisite stances and movements of the preconfigured curse models as well as inherited curse models will receive Sibyl's assistance.]

"Curse models with preassigned physical movements? What, there are 'skill animations now?" Du Lang snorted in annoyance.

This was becoming far too much like a game! Wait… Sibyl's assistance?

"And what was that – you're going to take over my body? The world isn't a mobile game, nor am I a playable character!"

[The host has limited access to Sibyl's authority, and is restricted by the world's laws. Thus, for the host's curse models to take full effect, simplification of the computation and processing of curse models are required. Sibyl redirects redundant computations and background processes to be assigned to physical movements to facilitate the activation of curse models.]

Essentially… it was to increase the efficiency of casting curses as much as possible? Certainly, having accompanying movements would be far more effective and quicker at dealing with an opponent than simply standing in place and chanting a spell… especially if the opponent fought back. Alas…

"Since there are skill animations, surely there is animation cancelling? Any keybinds I should worry about? What about skill builds?"

Du Lang tossed out all of the gaming terminology he had acquired during his studies in university. Although he barely remembered what several of them meant anymore, it didn't stop him from mimicking the 'Great Fatty' of Jingdou's male dormitory. It sounded impressive at first, but when he actually received a reply…

[For preconfigured and inherited curse models, the host can assign a key phrase or movement. Sibyl will then automatically assist the successful activation of the curse model. <Freeform> curse models will not receive assistance from Sibyl.]

What the hell, there truly was gaming mechanics in the Curse Platform…

Damned Er Gouming – no, gracious and ever generous senior…

囧.

Du Lang clapped his forehead with a loud sigh. Then, realizing that Sibyl had guaranteed him that nobody nearby would be able to observe his actions while he was interacting with Sibyl, the retired journalist bit the bullet.

"Sibyl, I'd like to set a few keybinds then," Du Lang wiped at his forehead and immediately drove all criticizing thoughts from his head.

"Distort Time, I want to trigger it with snapping the index finger and thumb of either hand. Distort Space, the middle finger and thumb. Enervate, pressing my thumb and index finger together… –"

Honk!