-150 HP!
The moment the flaming spear pierced the old witch's chest, the system notification chimed.
As her shrill scream echoed through the air, her form began to flicker, slowly dissolving before Meng Hao's eyes.
At the same time, the monstrous horde that had been savagely attacking the goblin guards suddenly halted, their movements turning sluggish and dazed.
A thick fog rolled in, veiling the Treasure Island in obscurity—until the entire island vanished.
[Congratulations! You have passed the Witch's Trial, dispelled her dark intent, and earned the approval of the Benevolent Witch.]
[A beautiful witch once dwelled on the drifting Treasure Island. Kind-hearted and graceful, she guarded the surrounding seas.]
[Even when deceived and robbed of her magic, she continued to love the world deeply.]
[To purge the malice born of her suffering was her life's greatest wish.]
[You have fulfilled that wish.]
[Reward: Fragment of the Witch's Training Journal.]
[Ding! God-tier Fortune triggered. You have received a Hundredfold Reward.]
Reward choices:
100 copies of the fragmented Witch's Training Journal.
A revised and refined edition of the Witch's Complete Grimoire.
Upon seeing the options, a surge of joy filled Meng Hao's heart.
He had nearly laid down his life to pass this trial—and finally, victory was his.
Whether the witch had been kind or cruel, he didn't care.
What mattered was the reward.
"The Witch's Grimoire... could it contain her magical training records?"
"If I can read it... could I actually learn magic myself?"
His heart burned with anticipation, his eyes gleaming like stars.
The fragmented journals were clearly incomplete. Even with a hundred copies, they wouldn't offer the full picture.
But the refined edition likely held the complete knowledge.
With that in hand, the possibility of mastering magic became real.
Meng Hao's mind raced, wholly consumed by the reward—unaware that his body was still bleeding profusely.
Before he could even make a choice, a tidal wave of exhaustion swept over him.
His vision dimmed, his legs felt like lead, and his body turned icy cold.
The ten-minute limit of the Madness Mask had ended. Now came the inevitable crash—thirty minutes of debilitating weakness.
Removing the mask, his handsome face turned pale.
"That battle nearly cost me my life… if not for that last-minute idea, I'd be done for."
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, he realized just how weak he had become.
He was dangerously low on blood.
His clothes were in tatters, his body a patchwork of wounds.
He opened his system menu to assess his current status.
[Player: Meng Hao 746996585]
[Level: Tier 1 Warrior]
[Constitution: Immune to Poison]
[Stats: Strength +10, Agility +10, Endurance +10, Toxin Resistance +10]
[Weapons: 98K Sniper Rifle, MP5 Submachine Gun, Super Redhawk Revolver, Spear, Iron Axe, Bow and Arrows, Acceleration Gauntlets, Agility Shoes, Wandering Cloak, Madness Mask, Healing Headband]
[HP: 60/100]
[Warning: Your body is in a critically weakened state. If HP reaches zero, you will die.]
Upon seeing the warning, Meng Hao's face turned grim.
His HP had dropped to 60%.
Nearly half his life drained in a single fight.
Had he failed to break free from the treants, he might have perished on the spot.
"Damn… that was too close."
Without hesitation, he fished out a green headband from his storage ring.
Ignoring any superstitions about the color, he tied it around his head.
A wave of warmth washed over him.
It was as if he had been submerged in a healing ocean, his every pore relaxing, his pain dissipating.
Bliss.
Mmm...
Eyes half-lidded, he savored the pleasure of his wounds mending, nearly moaning from the relief.
[Healing Headband: Silver-tier item. A magical headband that restores 1 HP per minute when worn by an injured player.]
At 1 HP per minute, he would be fully healed in forty minutes.
"This headband is a lifesaver. Truly… green is the color of love!"
Feeling his strength gradually returning, Meng Hao finally turned his attention back to the reward.
"Option 2!"
[Congratulations! You have received the Witch's Complete Grimoire (Revised Edition).]
[The Witch's Grimoire (Revised Edition): Gold-tier item. A meticulously refined magical journal.]
[The witch, gifted and diligent, recorded her daily insights and magical experiences within these pages.]
[With this grimoire, you now have the opportunity to learn the magic she once wielded.]
At the moment he held the grimoire in his hands, Meng Hao's heart skipped a beat.
"A gold-tier item!"
Until now, he had never laid eyes on a gold-tier reward.
By item rank, gold stood at the pinnacle.
And now, on just the first day of the game—he held one.
"Let's see what secrets lie within this golden masterpiece…"
The tome was thick, resembling a well-worn dictionary in appearance.
He opened the first page and found a mysterious emblem—
a flower with four colored petals, each hue representing a different type of magic.
"Is this… the sigil of a mage?"
"Did the witch master four elements? Do these colors signify magical ranks?"
Uncertain, he flipped further.
The next page was densely filled with text and strange arcane symbols.
His brow furrowed, frustration creeping into his eyes.
He flipped several more pages, then snapped the book shut with a thud.
"Fantastic. Just brilliant."
The entire grimoire was written in a language he couldn't understand—it looked like a demonic scrawl.
"System, I feel deeply scammed."
He cursed bitterly.
To fight through hell and earn this prize, only to find it unreadable?
"So I need to learn the language before I can learn magic?"
"Do you even know what I scored on my English exam?!"
"F**k!"
Swearing under his breath, he stuffed the grimoire back into his storage ring.
A golden-tier item… for this?
"Whatever. Time to open some treasure chests instead."