It’s time to watch Animal World again.

As soon as Chen Sheng realized this, he felt he might have fallen into a mental trap before. His lightning-like speed was a result of that strange training method. In this healing game, there were quite a few “elite monsters” with powerful basic stats, as well as all kinds of ghosts whose speed rivaled his own—but that didn’t mean his peculiar training method had lost its effectiveness.

“Maybe the reason I can’t form a unique skill is simply that I’ve been exerting myself in the wrong direction?”

Pondering this, Chen Sheng thought he ought to give it a try. After all, that little girl Yu Youxin had said that once you gained a “unique skill,” there would be special effects!

Just imagining himself covered in dazzling effects, Chen Sheng’s heart began to race with excitement.

That would be simply exhilarating!

Walking with the wind at your feet might make you seem annoying to others. But if you walked with lightning crackling around you?

So, paying no heed to the headless girl beside him, Chen Sheng began to practice his long-neglected strange training method right there.

Having already mastered this odd discipline, Chen Sheng felt no discomfort. On the contrary, his body seemed weightless, melting completely into the void.

When he finished one round of the strange method, he suddenly snapped out of that sensation of merging with nothingness. Though his feet were planted firmly on the ground, he felt as though he had plummeted from a great height!

With that abrupt shift, a fierce suction erupted within him, as if he’d become a living magnet. Scarlet streams of energy from heaven and earth surged toward him like lightning, sweeping rapidly into his body.

Boom!

The scarlet currents collided, then transformed into a blazing mass of fire. Centered on Chen Sheng, the flames surged and spread, unfurling like a burning canvas.

Though the fire licked at his form, he felt no heat.

“So these are the special effects that little girl mentioned?” Chen Sheng felt a surge of excitement—for the first time since he’d started playing this healing game, he could actually “see” his strength increasing!

“What should I call this unique skill?”

As Chen Sheng tried to sense it, information relating to the scarlet flames instantly surfaced in his mind. Yet the details were chaotic, as if pieced together from fragments.

After sorting through it, Chen Sheng understood the nature of these scarlet flames burning on his body. They could form a barrier to block attacks, be extended outward like whips to strike, or even be shaped into wings. If he could master the art of flight, he could flap those wings and rise into the air on the currents!

Though they appeared as scarlet flames, they were simply a manifestation of spiritual energy.

“So versatile?”

“In that case, let’s keep it simple: Flame Aura.”

Chen Sheng quickly named his new “unique skill.” Then he tried to take flight.

But after crashing to the ground three times in a row, he had to set the idea aside for now.

The more immersive the experience, the more painful the falls! After three attempts, Chen Sheng was nearly gasping in pain—he’d managed a brief ascent with his wings, only to slam solidly into the ground each time.

The impact was as harsh as being thrown over someone’s shoulder.

“Looks like mastering flight isn’t any easier than learning to swim! At least you can find a coach for swimming, but for flying? Who could teach me?” Chen Sheng mused with a headache, then decided that after logging out, he’d watch some animal documentaries for inspiration.

Of course, not the kind about springtime and animal courtship.

Meanwhile, the headless girl had watched Chen Sheng space out, perform a series of bizarre movements, summon a spectacular vision, and finally beat his flaming wings like a fledgling chick. Now she simply stared at him in a dazed stupor.

Suddenly, she noticed Chen Sheng looking at her and instinctively asked, “Aren’t you going to flutter anymore?”

Chen Sheng: “…”

“That was flying,” he corrected her.

“Oh, then… aren’t you going to fly anymore?” The headless girl glanced timidly at Chen Sheng, conceding whatever he said.

“Not for now. I can’t get airborne.”

“Then just lose some weight,” the headless girl blurted out.

Chen Sheng couldn’t help but place his hand atop her head, rotating it twice with a strange look. Once he’d confirmed her head hadn’t grown any larger, he frowned. “Strange, this head isn’t big, so why does she always have to say such hopeless things?”

“Huh? What?” The headless girl was utterly bewildered by his words.

“Nothing. Lead the way,” Chen Sheng replied, unwilling to argue with an NPC—especially since this particular “NPC” had been so obedient and helpful all along.

The headless girl promptly resumed leading him.

Because he had to wait for her, Chen Sheng’s pace slowed. But having already covered more than half the journey, the rest wasn’t far. As the night wore on, Chen Sheng finally caught sight of the town shrouded in a thin veil of gray mist.

On either side of the town stood towering mountains, their blue-black forests rendered even more eerie by the shrouding mist.

This was Gold Town.

Renowned for its abundant deposits of gold!

Unlike diamonds—whose value was driven by hype—gold had an unparalleled reputation for worth, captivating countless people.

It could be said that no one was immune to the allure of gold.

Thanks to this, the road leading to Gold Town was broad and smooth. The closer one got, the more streetlamps lined the way—a clear testament to the town’s wealth!

“The living enter, the dead leave…”

“If that’s the rule, then why isn’t this town bursting with people? It makes no sense!” Chen Sheng thought, puzzled.

Then, in an instant, his form blurred, leaving only a faint outline behind. When that outline faded, Chen Sheng was already standing at the entrance to Gold Town.

It was a gatehouse with a toll booth, the entrance blocked by a barrier. The surrounding lights were dim, casting a sinister red glow that deepened the eerie atmosphere.

Silence reigned; not even the chirp of an insect could be heard, as though every living thing had surrendered to sleep in the dead of night.

Seeing the empty toll booth, Chen Sheng strode forward.

But—bang!—he collided with an invisible wall, clutching his face and quickly retreating.

His brows furrowed as he surveyed the empty air before him. Glancing at the headless girl who’d just caught up, he asked, “What’s going on? Is there a curfew in Gold Town at night?”

“There’s no curfew in Gold Town, only one rule: the living may enter, the dead may leave… the living may enter but not exit, the dead may leave but not enter…” explained the headless girl, eyeing Chen Sheng with a hint of curiosity.