Chapter 86: Anomalous Values! A Return Visit to the Faerie Tribe!

“But I didn’t choose that method. Instead, I instinctively went for a solution with a very low margin for error.”

“Looking back now, I was nothing like myself at that time—so… arrogant.”

Wang Chen frowned deeply. “And when I faced the horde of ghouls after they went berserk, I didn’t choose to simply scatter them and escape with Lin Lehan. Instead, I drew my blade and fought.”

“In truth, there was no need for that battle. Even if I wanted to level up, I could have retreated, recovered to my peak condition, and then made my move.”

“But there I was, acting like a warrior when I was supposed to be a Life Shaman. And at the time, it didn’t even feel strange—it was as if I was doing what I was meant to do.”

“What on earth is happening to me?”

Countless questions circled in Wang Chen’s mind. He racked his brain, but the fog of confusion refused to lift.

“Could it be some kind of curse?”

Wang Chen recalled the sinister, insidious curses of the Dark Plateau—impossible to guard against.

He pulled up his class interface to check his status, looking for any decline in his attributes.

A curse that affected the mind would logically have an impact on his spirit attribute.

“There’s nothing unusual here,” Wang Chen muttered helplessly, shifting his gaze away from the spirit stat to the others. “Strange… everything else seems normal… hmm?”

Wang Chen stared in astonishment at his strength and agility.

Their values were “2360” and “2259” respectively.

“No, something’s off with these two stats.”

Wang Chen took out his phone and sent Tang Ruotong a message, asking for her stats.

She replied quickly.

After comparing, Wang Chen realized that his combined strength and agility were only a little over a hundred less than Tang Ruotong’s.

But Wang Chen was a Life Shaman, and Tang Ruotong was a Holy Shield Knight!

He was a support class, she was a front-line fighter. By all rights, her stats—except for spirit—should far surpass his.

“So, my body is changing on its own? But why?”

Though this seemed like a good thing, Wang Chen always felt a discomfort, like a fishbone stuck in his throat, toward things beyond his control.

“Rebel! Is there anything unusual about my body?”

Wang Chen summoned the system and asked.

[Scan complete. Host’s cellular activity exceeds normal levels by a significant margin.]

“Cellular activity?” Wang Chen frowned. “When did this start?”

[Apologies. The system does not record this type of information for the host. Please make a note if necessary.]

“Forget it, you’re no help.”

He dismissed the system with a wave.

Now he seemed to have figured out a little about his situation, but the phrase “cellular activity far beyond normal levels” was so dry and vague—it gave him neither a clear meaning nor an origin.

He pondered for a while, an idea forming in his mind. So he washed up early and went to bed, planning to get up early the next day to take care of things.

…

The next day.

The place once known as the Dark Plateau, now the Fairy Sanctuary.

Wang Chen stepped out from the teleportation array.

Two fairy sentinels immediately approached as the array lit up, demanding his identity.

“You two don’t recognize me?” Wang Chen asked in surprise.

He’d brought the Spring of Vitality back to the village just days before, distributing it to everyone in the square—surely, the whole village should know him as their hero by now.

“How would we know you? What are you doing, sneaking into the fairy sanctuary?” said one of the guards, who seemed to be the leader.

Wang Chen thought for a moment and handed them his token. “This was given to me by your chieftain. It’s this that allows me to use the fairy teleportation array. Shouldn’t that prove I’m a friend?”

At the sight of the jade-green token, the guards’ expressions changed instantly. Both bowed respectfully and said in unison, “Greetings, Elder!”

“Elder? When did I become an elder?” Wang Chen muttered in confusion.

“That’s the elder’s token. Only the chieftain can issue it. Whoever holds it is treated as a fairy elder,” one of the fairies explained.

“So that’s how it is,” Wang Chen realized. The old chieftain had given him something so important—he couldn’t help but feel moved.

“Please forgive us, Elder! We failed to recognize you and were disrespectful!” the other fairy called out.

But the way he spoke sounded less like a plea and more like a threat—almost as if Wang Chen’s refusal would mean immediate punishment.

Wang Chen grumbled to himself.

“Those who don’t know are not guilty. You were just doing your duty,” Wang Chen said with a wave. “Quick, take me to your chieftain. I have urgent business.”

Yes, the idea he’d come up with last night was to find someone knowledgeable and ask for advice.

But he came from a poor background—he had no such connections.

Maybe the teachers at school had once liked him, but ever since he became a Life Shaman, whatever goodwill they had was long gone.

That was when he thought of the old fairy chieftain.

Fairies lived long lives. The chieftain must have seen more years than Wang Chen had eaten meals, and was sure to be well-informed. He just might know what was happening to Wang Chen.

So he’d come early.

One of the fairy sentinels led Wang Chen through the fairy settlement toward a small hill.

Along the way, some fairies recognized Wang Chen and greeted him warmly.

Seeing this, the sentinel guiding him grew more and more anxious.

Soon, they reached the hilltop.

“Sir Hero, this is the chieftain’s residence,” the fairy guard said.

Wang Chen looked up and saw a simple wooden cottage nestled among the trees, exuding an air of tranquil seclusion.

“Thank you,” Wang Chen said, preparing to enter. He caught sight of the sentinel’s uneasy expression and smiled. “Don’t worry. I told you—you were just doing your duty. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I’m not one to talk about people behind their backs or rat others out. You don’t need to worry about being reprimanded by the chieftain. If I really had an issue with you, I’d drag you in to confront him myself.”

Wang Chen patted his shoulder. “Go on, you’ve worked hard.”

The guard breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him repeatedly, and hurried back down the hill.

Watching him go, Wang Chen shook his head with a smile and knocked on the cottage door.

“Chieftain, are you there? It’s Wang Chen.”

There was the sound of furniture being moved, and then the chieftain opened the door.

“Well, if it isn’t a rare guest! Come in, sit down!” The chieftain welcomed Wang Chen inside.

Once within, Wang Chen took in the interior. It was sparsely furnished; on the desk to the left, a few scrolls lay open, suggesting the chieftain had been reading or writing.

“Did I disturb you?” Wang Chen asked.

“Nonsense. As I’ve said before, you are the hero of the fairies—there’s no such thing as disturbing between us.”

A warm smile spread across the chieftain’s aged face as he led Wang Chen to a seat by the hearth, pouring him a cup of floral tea.

“If anything, it’s you who always seems so busy—not much time to visit an old man like me, eh?” The chieftain chuckled.