Ghost Notes - Chapter 11: Echoes in the Dark

“Mana to breathe, mana to eat, mana to fucking live,”Inhale: -0.001 MP… oops! You're out of mana points.(Pay-to-breathe RPG.)Humanity's last walled stronghold._____In the world Elio lives, every gasp of air comes at a price.A floating indestructible book for every human, a magical system that turns survival into a pay-to-breathe RPG.Here, poverty isn't just being broke, it's choking.Surrounded by barren land and a sea of monsters on top of it (No water, just literal monsters), each day is a suffocating dance of survival, a balancing act between mana for air and mana for food.In this economy, holding your breath isn't just a game, it's a retirement plan.Driven by desperation (and the city's miserly rulers that don’t cut anyone a break), Elio dives into the Book System’s trials to save his family.Along the way, he unlocks powers he didn’t ask for and starts to figure out... Who he really is.Immerse yourself in an adventure where one young man's stubborn refusal to become a statistic could spark a revolution. Who knew being a pain in the system's rear could change the world?Because in Elio's world, breathing is just the beginning of the revolution and... he's gasping for change.But hey, who said saving the world had to be all doom and gloom? Join Elio as he kicks monster butt, uncovers ancient secrets, and maybe, just maybe, figures out how to grow a tree or two along the way.__________Warning:May contain traces of world domination, an unhealthy obsession with the periodic table, damage points, progression math, and yes, even a sprinkle of that old “power of friendship” magic. Because sometimes, you need a buddy to help you remember which element does what or even help you calculate those sweet, sweet stats.A quick heads-up:Despite what the cover might suggest, this isn’t a hack-and-slash adventure. Think more along the lines of a turn-based RPG, where strategy and choices matter as much as action. Get ready for a different kind of challenge!If you want to know more about the cover:Yep, that's our first FL crying and crossing the transparent barrier straight into a pixelated, indistinguishable sea of monsters. Because why not mix emotions with chaos? She's crazy like that! (Not really... or is she?)Discord to check the visuals: https://discord.gg/W3CjfC2cw4I’m still working on it in the little moments I find between writing, editing, making more character images, etc.Little by little, we’ll have a Poked... uh, a full SummonDex! Meanwhile, you can check out the ones on Fandom with their... funny descriptions? Or at least I hope so... orzWarning 2 (Privilege 4 and 5):I just wanted to stick to the novel’s level system, so I had to add those '0s'!!! Don’t be an elephant... unless you’re an enormous one... A whale! Seriously, nooooo!You’re going to make me die from the pressure, and I’ll feel terrible!! It’s just one chapter!!! You can wait... But if you’re dirty rich and really, Really, REALLY want to support, well... okay, though I’ll still feel bad!!! orz

Lu Liran, the former deputy captain of the first federal mobile team, disappeared in a great war, and his life and death are unknown.
Seriously injured in the war, lingering on his last breath and penniless, Lu Liran was luckily bound by the survival system.
Under the tasks issued by the system——

The Giant at thirty degrees below zero, conquer the Arlok Glacier;
In the No Man’s land under the black wind and sand, travel deep into the oasis in the hinterland of Salba Desert;
The Island in the Sky under the blue sky, the challenge of surviving on an uninhabited island;
The Blue Hole in the Endless Abyss, exploring deep sea wrecks and lost ancient cities.
The Muddy Lands, the Forest of White Bones, gathering specialties of the Haunted Swamp;
The Lord of Fire, the giant dragon lurking on the ground……

Therefore, in the Desolate Star that hates the federal army the most, a man with a disfigured face and mysterious identity quietly appeared in the top ten dangerous uninhabited regions of Desolate Star. In exchange for rich bounty rewards by hunting rare and exotic beasts that ordinary people can’t hunt, and the live broadcast of wilderness survival, he also started rapidly sweeping the entire planet.

“Ah, the anchor looks so scary, no one dares to marry such an Alpha no matter how powerful he is!”

“??? Brother Lu, I can! Marry me! The sense of security is at max level, like!”

“The anchor is really a god. This is the first time I’ve seen someone at the top of this year’s list of Desolate Star’s Most Attractive Alpha + Least Wanted to Marry Alpha at the same time…”

During a live broadcast, a heavy rain washed away the scar on Lu Liran’s face.

The whole live room is boiling!!!

“Marry me, marry me! Brother, marry me!”

After the live broadcast was closed, another man, so handsome that people subconsciously held their breath, appeared. He surrounded Lu Liran’s body and whispered: “You’ve been missing for so many years with my cub, when are you going to give me a name?”

Lu Liran: “…”

Yes, this is still an old-fashioned story of O pretending to be A and running away with joy.

…

His Excellency, the First Commander of the Federal Army, disappeared suddenly in the peaceful post-war era. Until one day, everyone noticed that he appeared in a live broadcast room, happily pretending to be a s*upid human-shaped pendant, and unscrupulously pestering a male anchor with a terrifying face.

“Official announcement, this is the commander’s wife.” His Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief of the Federation, said so.

The live broadcast room is boiling again!!!

- Description from Novelupdates

Yu Linglong is the shu (born of a concubine) daughter in a general’s family. Since her mother was only a tribute dancer, her position is the lowest of the low. She used to live with her mother outside the father’s residence, and they only received some monthly money from him. He didn’t bother seeing them. But when her mother dies, she moves into the general’s residence.

The general is a very irresponsible and violent man. He doesn’t really get attached to women, just letting his lust dictate his actions. His wife is a jealous woman, who killed one of his previous concubines, because he doted on her too much. She similarly wants to get rid of Yu Linglong, in part to vent her frustrations over her husband’s cheating habits.

Because the sixth miss – the general’s legitimate daughter, was bitten by a snake, she needs detoxification. The cure was apparently getting poisoned by scorpions, to fight one poison with another. But since she’s already weak, they decided it would be better if she drank the blood of someone poisoned by scorpions instead. The general’s madam naturally decided to use Yu Linglong’s blood. During the process of getting bitten by the scorpion, the original timid Yu Linglong died of fright (and maybe poison? it’s never made clear). Then Yu Mei takes over her body.

Yu Mei is a modern woman. She was some mafia boss, so she’s very capable with fighting and overbearing attitude. She died because the man she fell in love with betrayed her and killed her. So she doesn’t trust easily afterward.

Since she took over Yu Linglong’s body, she refuses to adapt to the circumstances of a lowly illegitimate daughter, and uses her violence to fight for a peaceful life, where no one will challenge her and plot against her. Basically, she beats them up into submission. In the meantime, she acquires a tail – a very persistent prince, who only seems to stick to her harder, the colder she treats him. Did ancient men have such heavy tastes, she wonders.

- Description from Novelupdates

I had finally done it—achieved the ultimate Paladin build. Maxed stats, impenetrable armor, and so many resistances that death itself had given up on me. I was an unkillable tank, an indomitable force. Nothing could stop me.And then my PC exploded.I died.Irony, thou art a cruel mistress.But instead of the afterlife, I woke up as my Paladin character… in the wrong freaking genre. Instead of castles and dungeons, there were people flying around on swords, shooting qi beams like fantasy laser guns.“This is definitely the wrong genre,” I muttered, watching a pompous young master sneer at me.“Kowtow, kiss my foot, and beg for forgiveness!” he declared.I looked at my imaginary maxed-out health bar, then at his flimsy silk robes.Oh, this was going to be fun.