Chapter 6 : Chapter 6
Chapter 6: What Did This Turn Into?!
The house gradually fell completely silent.
The girl held the empty bowl she had scraped spotless, looking somewhat at a loss.
Her large body shrank slightly into the chair, and the sauce-stained expression on her face looked a little blank.
Now that her hunger had been satisfied, exhaustion began to seep into her body. Along with it came an awkward, indescribable feeling—she had accepted food from an “enemy.”
Chenxi stood up and began gathering the empty bowls and plates from the table.
When he picked up the empty bowl in front of the girl, she instinctively tried to protect it with her hand, but her movement froze halfway through. She could only watch him cautiously.
“If you do not want to give it to me, then washing the dishes will be your job.”
“I will never listen to a human!”
Chenxi, who had been about to return to his room, turned his head and glanced at the Oni girl.
“So the Oni race prefers to eat without helping with anything.”
“You damned human, what did you say?! Washing dishes? Leave all of it to me!
I will show you how capable the Oni are!”
Chenxi yawned.
“Alright, alright. Then I will leave it to you.”
…
Chenxi lay on his bed as the crude system interface unfolded before his eyes.
The chibi character continued swinging its sword.
But compared with before, there was now another figure standing in front of him.
A red-skinned Oni with a ferocious grin on her face.
She held a massive double-bladed axe.
Xu Chu?
When did she arrive?!
Then that meant…
Perhaps he could try it.
Next stage! Start!
The interface changed.
The enemy formation consisted of three slimes in the front row and three green goblins with bows in the back row.
The three slimes attacked simultaneously.
But—
-1 -1 -1
Three damage numbers appeared.
What the hell?!
Before, when slimes attacked him, each hit dealt more than ten damage, and his character only had 124 health in total!
Then his own character began attacking.
A flash of red light appeared.
That was a skill he had mastered in reality.
【Burst】
-121 -133
Two red damage numbers appeared, instantly killing a slime.
Two goblins drew their bows.
At that moment, the Oni in the front row—
Hmm?
Chenxi suddenly realized something interesting.
Previously he had asked her name many times, and she had refused to reveal it even under the punishment of the slave contract.
Yet now he could see it here.
Hongxu.
That was quite a nice name.
-7 -5
Two more damage numbers appeared.
The Oni girl—no, Hongxu—
swung her axe and brought it crashing down.
-211
Chenxi’s eyes widened instantly.
What kind of damage was that?!
He only dealt that much damage when he used a skill!
This defense. This attack power!
Amazing!
A few seconds later, the gate representing Stage Three finally appeared.
Chenxi nearly felt like crying.
A progression block!
He had been stuck!
Being stuck was not unusual.
But being stuck for seven whole years?
Who had ever seen that?!
【Stage Two:
Unlock white equipment and green equipment drop mechanics.
Increase attribute point drop probability.
Unlock teammate attribute allocation function.
Please work hard to clear stages!
Stage Five Unlock: Level Up
Stage Fifteen Unlock: Events
Stage Twenty Unlock: Awakening
Stage Fifty Unlock: Shop】
Deep breath. Deep breath. Deep breath.
Do not get angry…
Do not get angry.
I am not angry, my ass!
Where the hell did you hide all these basic features?!
Tell me!
Where the hell did you hide these basic features?!
He opened Hongxu’s status panel.
There was not much difference compared to before, but her affection level had changed slightly.
【Affection Level: -51 (Disgust and vigilance have weakened. Confusion has deepened, mixed with a trace of satisfaction brought by food that she herself has not yet realized.)】
Chenxi closed his eyes.
Just one meal had raised her affection level by that much.
She really was a fool.
…
The sound of washing dishes stopped.
Chenxi waited in his room for a while. When he heard no movement, he opened the door and walked out.
The kitchen had been cleaned.
The washed bowls, plates, and chopsticks were neatly arranged on the table.
It was obvious that the work had been done carefully.
But Hongxu was not in the kitchen.
Chenxi stepped into the courtyard.
The moonlight was cold, illuminating the tall shadow curled up in the corner.
She had wrapped the oversized black robe tightly around herself, almost merging with the shadow of the courtyard wall.
When she heard footsteps, her eyes opened instantly.
Perhaps she had not even realized it herself, but when she saw that it was Chenxi, she unexpectedly felt a small sense of relief.
“Finished washing?”
Chenxi walked closer, stopping several steps away.
That distance was sufficient. Any closer and she might bristle again.
His voice sounded especially clear in the quiet courtyard.
Hongxu’s body immediately tensed. She nodded once in response.
She glanced at Chenxi quickly, then lowered her gaze again, staring at her bare feet stained with water and dust.
Why did he let her eat?
Why did he let her wash the dishes?
When humans bought slaves, were they not meant to perform hard labor or…
Her thoughts were a mess.
“Why are you staying outside?”
Chenxi asked calmly.
Hongxu raised her head. Her yellow pupils contracted slightly, filled with undisguised confusion.
“Outside…”
Her voice was uncertain.
“Slaves… do not sleep outside?”
In her understanding—or rather, in the cruel worldview drilled into her at the slave market—livestock sheds, open ground, and cold iron cages were where she belonged.
A warm house?
That was for masters and free people.
Chenxi silently looked at her.
After a moment, he spoke in an even tone.
“Come inside and sleep.”
Hongxu blinked repeatedly.
Her eyes widened round, and her mouth opened slightly, revealing a bit of sharp fang.
Inside?
Sleep?
Inside the house?
She suspected she had misheard.
“Human, is something wrong with your brain?”
“… ”
Chenxi took a deep breath, calming himself.
What kind of person is this?!
“Come inside.”
“I… can?”
Her gaze locked tightly onto Chenxi’s face, searching for any trace of mockery or trap in his expression.
“Mm.”
Chenxi simply responded and turned to walk back inside.
No explanation. No extra words.
He was tired.
Hongxu stood frozen in place, her mind in chaos.
Go inside?
What if it was a trap?
If she did not go?
The moment that thought arose, the rune on her temple grew faintly hot, making her shiver instantly.
“You are not afraid, are you?”
“I would never be afraid of you!”
Chenxi could not help the faint smile that appeared on his lips.
She was unbelievably easy to handle.
…
Inside the house, an oil lamp burned.
The dim light barely pushed back the darkness in the corners, bringing a hint of warmth.
Chenxi had already prepared a half-damp cloth.
He looked at Hongxu, who stood awkwardly in the center of the room, and his gaze settled on her face.
The grease and sauce from dinner were even more obvious under the lamplight, smeared across her cheeks and chin, with a few grains of rice stuck near her mouth.
“Stand still.”
Chenxi walked toward her.
Hongxu instinctively tried to step back.
At present, she did not trust humans in the slightest.
“Do not move. If you move, I will assume you are afraid of me.”
Her body stiffened.
A question mark appeared in her mind.
“Human, are you always using that sentence to make me obey?”
“No. I simply believe that you are afraid of me.”
“I would never be afraid of a weak human like you!”
The cloth gently wiped the corner of her mouth.
An unprecedented panic seized her heart—stronger even than when she had been whipped in the slave market.
When a whip struck her body, it meant pain, anger, humiliation.
She understood those things.
But now…
What did this gentle wiping mean?
Was it a new form of torture?
Or some kind of training she could not comprehend?
She could not understand this person.
What exactly was he trying to do?
Her yellow pupils narrowed into slits from extreme tension and fear, reflecting Chenxi’s calm yet focused face.
Suddenly, his hand stopped.
Her already stiff body tensed even further.
“Lower your head a little. I cannot reach.”
“Huh? Oh… alright.”
So what exactly is this human trying to do?!