16: Chapter 16 This is the correct way to use in-game purchases!

"Holy crap!"

A scream of utter horror didn't come from Chen You's throat, but exploded from the depths of his soul.

Agony!

An indescribable, intense pain swept through his entire body from his shoulder, as if his bones had been shattered by that rusty battle blade.

A segment of his health bar instantly emptied.

This was completely different from the feeling of being scratched by the Ghost Wolf or eroded by the vengeful spirits before.

Those were just numbers dropping, but this time, it was the true sensation of being on the verge of death!

Meanwhile, in the real world.

The underground command center of the Pay-to-Win Project was once again pierced by a piercing alarm!

"Alert! Alert! Target's vital signs show violent fluctuations!"

"Heart rate 192! Blood pressure 200/120! Adrenaline levels exceed the standard by three times!"

"Danger! The target is currently in a state of extreme stress!"

All data streams refreshed frantically on the giant screen, every line stained with the blood-red color representing the highest level of crisis.

Director Li Guoan suddenly shot up from his seat and rushed to the main monitoring console in a few strides.

He stared intently at the wildly jumping electrocardiogram curve on the screen, and for the first time, unconcealable panic and regret appeared on his resolute face.

He suddenly realized that he had overlooked one thing!

He had only seen the infinite possibilities brought by the "Source Realm," and he had seen Chen You's strategic value as the sole player, but he had ignored the most fundamental point.

Chen You was just an ordinary young man in his twenties!

He was not a battle-hardened warrior, nor was he a strong-willed secret agent.

Throwing an ordinary person like him into such an unfathomable world teeming with monsters without any preparation was tantamount to letting an infant pilot a star destroyer.

Every encounter was a terrifying experience on the brink of death for him.

That wasn't game data; it was real fear, a trauma that would be branded deep into his spirit!

"Medical team! Prepare to initiate Awakening Protocol Number Three!"

Director Li Guoan's voice was somewhat hoarse from tension, but he did not give the order to wake him immediately.

Setting aside whether forced awakening was even possible.

Even if he woke up, who knew what kind of mental shock it would inflict on Chen You?

Wait a little longer...

In the game world.

The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything else.

Saving money?

No way he could save any now!

If his life was on the line, what was there left to save!

Chen You scrambled backward, completely ignoring how much health he had left, and forgetting about the peiyuan pill he had just swallowed.

His mind held only one thought.

Use the talismans!

Use those Exorcism Talismans that cost one million each!

With a flicker of thought, the stack of nine remaining [Exorcism Talismans] appeared in his hand.

At this moment, the Vengeful Spirit General, having landed a successful blow, did not pursue.

It merely slowly raised its head, its scarlet eyes locking onto him coldly from dozens of meters away.

It dragged the massive battle blade behind it, scraping out a string of dazzling sparks on the bluestone-paved street.

It was savoring the fear of its prey.

But it didn't know that its prey had just completed a mental transformation from a "commoner" to a "super tycoon."

"It's just money!"

Chen You roared out a cry mixed with fear and madness.

"I have plenty of it!"

He stopped conserving them one by one and instead took the remaining nine Exorcism Talismans in his hand, fanning them out like a deck of playing cards.

Then, using all his strength, he fiercely hurled them toward the Vengeful Spirit General!

"Die for me!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Nine golden streaks of light shot from his hand, carving brilliant trajectories in mid-air, resembling nine miniature suns.

Carrying the righteous energy that purifies all evil, they instantly tore apart the gloomy black mist enveloping the long street.

The Vengeful Spirit General also seemed to sense the fatal threat.

It made a sound for the first time—a roar that seemed inhuman, filled with endless resentment and pain.

It raised the giant battle blade in its hand, and the swirling black energy around its body condensed into a thick shield, attempting to block this deadly attack.

However, in the face of a Pay-to-Win item worth one million each, all struggles were futile.

The first golden streak of light hit the black energy shield.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only purification and dissolution.

The shield, formed from pure vengeful energy, melted silently into a large hole the moment it came into contact with the golden light, like ice under a scorching sun.

Immediately after, the golden light pierced through and accurately struck the chest armor of the Vengeful Spirit General.

Boom!

A dazzling ball of golden light burst forth, and a sacred aura swept in all directions.

A massive damage number floated up above the Vengeful Spirit General's head.

[-1258]

The Vengeful Spirit General's massive body shuddered violently, letting out a piercing wail, and its entire form became slightly more ethereal.

But this was only the beginning.

The second, third, and fourth streaks of golden light... followed in quick succession!

[-1245]

[-1866! (Critical Hit)]

[-1251]

...

A dense string of damage numbers erupted above the Vengeful Spirit General's head like scrolling bullet comments.

Its armor cracked inch by inch, and its solid body became thin and transparent at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It wildly swung its battle blade, unleashing streaks of black blade energy, but they were all easily dispersed and purified by the subsequent golden light clusters surging in.

Nine talismans, nine explosions, nine wounds deep enough to see the bone!

When the ninth streak of golden light dissipated, the Vengeful Spirit General was already tottering.

Its massive body flickered, like a candle in the wind about to be extinguished at any moment.

But it still hadn't fallen!

The Exorcism Talismans were all used up!

Chen You's thoughts moved only for 0.01 seconds.

His consciousness flashed like lightning to open the shop.

[Exorcism Talisman, Unit Price: 1 Gold Coin.]

[Purchase Quantity: 10]

[Confirm payment of 10 Gold Coins?]

"Confirm! Confirm! Confirm for me!"

Chen You roared frantically in his mind.

Almost the instant his thought landed, his gold coin balance decreased again.

And in his game inventory, a new stack of fresh Exorcism Talismans, still carrying the "fragrance of ink," appeared.

The entire process was seamless and extremely fast.

This was the meaning of "Pay-to-Win"!

Money isn't everything, but infinite money is omnipotent!

"Come on! Monster! It's your turn to be afraid!"

Chen You calmed down slightly and took out another Exorcism Talisman.

The golden light once again illuminated this dead, silent long street.

In the real world, the command center.

"Report! Target heart rate is starting to drop! 185... 170... 155..."

"Blood pressure is stabilizing! The stress response is receding!"

Hearing the report, everyone in the entire command center breathed a sigh of relief. Many only then realized that their backs were already soaked with cold sweat.

Director Li Guoan's tense body relaxed slightly, but the expression on his face grew even more solemn.

He walked to the side and instructed his Assistant in a deep voice.

"Contact the military district, select the best combat instructors and psychological experts, and form a special training team."

The Deputy was stunned: "Director, now?"

"Right now!" Director Li Guoan said decisively.

"As soon as Chen You comes out this time, immediately begin comprehensive special training for him! We cannot make the same mistake again!"

"He must learn how to fight, how to cope with crises, and how to control his fear!"

"Yes!"

Director Li Guoan turned his gaze back to the main screen, where the curve representing Chen You's life status had completely returned to stability.

He murmured softly, with a trace of lingering fear in his voice.

"Little Chen, you must come back alive."

In the game.

When the new round of golden light fell, the battle held no more suspense.

The Vengeful Spirit General couldn't even let out a final scream; its massive body completely solidified under the two beams of golden light.

Finally, with a slight sound, like shattering glass, the Vengeful Spirit General's huge body completely turned into scattered black light particles and vanished into thin air.

[Congratulations on defeating the Scene Battle BOSS: Vengeful Spirit General!]

[Gained Experience Points x 5000]

[Level Up to 3 (Qi Refining First Layer)!]

[Gained Free Attribute Points x 5]

[Dropped Items: vengeful spirit battle blade (Rare), Tattered General Armor (Rare), Zhao City Military Token (Quest Item)]

A string of system prompts flashed by.

Chen You leaned on his novice iron sword, gasping for breath. The relief of surviving a disaster made his legs feel weak.

He won.

He forcibly smashed a terrifying BOSS, whose defense he couldn't even breach, using the power of money.

This might be the most simple and direct, yet correct, way for a Pay-to-Win player to fight.

He allocated the 5 attribute points to Attack without hesitation, then contentedly walked to where the BOSS had dissipated, picking up the three dropped items that were shimmering with blue light one by one.

However, just as he finished collecting the spoils and was about to examine these drops worth over ten million, a new system prompt box popped up without warning, occupying his entire field of vision.