"What You Love is Your Life"

  Bang!

  The tavern door was kicked open. The numbed patrons didn't even bother to look at the new arrivals. They kept p drinks into themselves, trying to numb their ed nerves with alcohol to escape this messed-up reality.

  The bartender lifted his rough eleic eye, gng at the 'sger' with makeshift firearms and a -ed arm. The tter, with his female panion, approached the bar and dropped a glowing bottle cap, speaking smoothly:

  "Vodka on the rocks with a bullet, mixed with a bit of coke. And a gss of hot water for the dy."

  "Too bad, we don't have such grand liquor."

  The bartender shrugged, serving Li Aozzi a warm beer and a gss of hot water:

  "You know David, I must say, you're the most tasteful sger I've ever seen. This one's on me."

  Qiu Raated, looking at the white sediment floating at the bottom of the wooden cup, w about the water quality in this pce.

  "Thanks, buddy."

  Li Aozzi lifted the beer but didn't drink immediately. Through the mask, he g an old man tinkering with a revolver, fog on the silver-gray gun, and asked:

  "Gamble?Vick—is it from 199?"

  "Heiberlong Arms Factory."

  The old man, u and weary, casually replied:

  "You sgers shouldn't care about stuff uhirty years old, right?"

  "ons are an exception. Only fire and Kashnikov bring a bit of warmth in these cold times."

  Li Aozzi smiled faintly:

  "The Justian Democratic Republic, the most peaceful among the Four Nations, but its Heiberlong Arms Factory kills nearly two million people every year with its ons. That's the best advertisement."

  Click.

  The old man opehe der and loaded a bullet. He lifted his head, his bright yellow eyes log onto Li Aozzi. The wrinkles on his face were deeper than the lines on the floor, but his eyes seemed to pierce through time, refleg Li Aozzi's face.

  "A word of advice," the old man said. "Enjoy life to the fullest; you don't have much time left."

  As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the bar froze.

  "Is old Dmitri's brain impnted with a fool chip?"

  Someone murmured:

  "That's a sger. In the blink of an eye, Robben, Yuri, and Zhao Ming lost their lives. Does he think he's lived long enough?"

  "Shh, keep it down. Old Dmitri's curses are real. Everyone he said had little time left... all..."

  "Ahem, let's just keep drinking."

  Li Aozzi swirled his beer, studying the old man called Dmitri through the amber liquid.

  This was a crucial step to plete the Blood Magic Flow, and Li Aozzi knew Dmitri was the only one who could make jewelry-type equipment in the early stages of Frost-Pted Republic.

  Jewelry-type equipment, if one foes ons, theoretically equip up to 14 pieces, more with totems and tattoos.

  This type of gear has no stat requirements, making it perfect for low-stat csses like the Mutant.

  With his high Charm and knowledge of the plot, Li Aozzi skipped the tedious verification and versation process, triggering the quest stage directly.

  Anyone else would least two days to iigate the on's in and build rapport with the old man before Dmitri would mention their limited lifespan.

  Now, he only o do ohing.

  "You see that I don't have much time?"

  Li Aozzi asked calmly.

  "My personal ability. To me, it's also a curse."

  Old Dmitri spun the revolver's der, the click-cck eg before he pushed the gun towards Li Aozzi:

  "Death isn't scary, but not witnessing it would be a shame."

  "What's this about?" Qiu Ran asked, fused.

  "Russian Roulette. You see, there's only one bullet in the revolver. Every trigger pull spins the der, increasing the ce of hitting the bullet until it fires."

  Old Dmitri stared at Li Aozzi:

  "If you have the ce to face death, I guarantee you'll withe most beautiful se—the masterpiece personally crafted by the Death Goddess Banishu."

  "Wait! Are you saying he should shoot himself with this gun?"

  Qiu Ran, panicked, grabbed Li Aozzi's arm:

  "Don't do something stupid. This is too dangerous."

  "Rex."

  Li Aozzi patted her shoulder gently.

  "I love life."

  The moment, he picked up the revolver, poi at his temple, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

  Click!

  "Ah!" Qiu Ran closed her eyes and screamed.

  The bullet didn't fire; it was a bnk.

  "Oh, I almost fot."

  Li Aozzi removed his mask and hood, revealing his pale face. He raised the revolver, pressing it tightly against his temple with a slight smile:

  "This way, it's transparent."

  With that, he pulled the trigger again.

  Click!

  Still no bullet.

  "Hey, that's enough. Stop this..." Qiu Ran's voice trembled.

  Everyone in the bar watched this rare se, a sger fag Russian Roulette so calmly, earning their respect.

  "Don't rush."

  Li Aozzi smiled and pulled the trigger again.

  Click!

  Another bnk.

  Three bnks in a row, and the revolver had six chambers, increasing the odds of the shot being the bullet to one in three.

  "Stop, this is too dangerous."

  Qiu Ran was on the verge of tears:

  "If you die in front of me, and I couldn't stop it, I'll bme myself forever."

  "My life, no one dictate but me."

  Li Aozzi calmly pulled the trigger again.

  Cck!

  The sound made Qiu Ran's heart sink. She closed her eyes, biting her lip, clutg Li Aozzi's hand tightly:

  "Don't die, please, don't die..."

  "Oh?"

  Li Aozzi's voice sounded pyful:

  "Old man, yun isn't well-maintaihe seal structure is loose."

  Dmitri stared at Li Aozzi.

  "There are two bullets left. Due to the malfun, you've passed."

  Swish!

  Li Aozzi suddenly spun the der.

  "Don't."

  His gray eyes filled with a mad smile:

  "I don't back dow's recalcute!"

  Dmitri's pupils tracted. Even he didn't expeeohis crazy.

  "You—"

  Click.

  Li Aozzi raised the gun to his temple, smiling lightly.

  "Holy, the Death Goddess is nothing."

  Li Aozzi said:

  "She's just an old virgin with a padded bra."

  With that, he pulled the trigger repeatedly.

  Click, click, click, click, click, click!

  All bnks.

  The entire bar stared at Li Aozzi, as if witnessing a god.

  Li Aozzi slowly raised the revolver to the ceiling and pulled the trigger again.

  Bang!

  The gun fired, the bullet hitting a beam in the bar, embedding deeply. Li Aozzi waved, and the bullet dropped into his beer.

  Plop...

  The full-metal bullet swirled in the beer, warming the cold drink.

  Li Aozzi pushed the bullet beer towards Dmitri, his gray eyes losing their golden glow.

  "Gamble?Vick has 7 bullets. The first six were you lettihe six were fate scared and quickly hao me."

  "I may not have long, but—"

  Li Aozzi raised the bullet beer and dow in one gulp.

  Gulp, gulp—spit!

  He spat out the still-smoking bullet, smming the revolver oable with a fident smile:

  "Until then, my life is mio and."

  g, g, g—

  The steel-core bullet spun oable like the top of fate, finally stopping, still pointing at Li Aozzi.

  Click.

  Dmitri took a deep breath, putting away the revolver, looking solemnly at Li Aozzi:

  "You truly trol your fate. I'm impressed. e with me; I have something to give you. No one suits it better than you."

  [Yered the career quest: "Death Craftsman Dmitri"]

  [Career quests only be started once. pleting it grants the extra profession "Craftsman" (non-upgradable, doesn't take up total levels).]

  Li Aozzi smiled faintly.

  [Craftsman]

  This was the profession he needed.

  Although a life profession ot be upgraded, it be advanced and transferred, not taking up total levels and experience while providing skills, making it highly worthwhile.

  [Craftsman] is one of the most suitable life professions for [Starfall Masters], allowing for the learning of various knowledge. It create items from both the stifid magical sides, adapting to the diverse enviros of the future Star Abyss.

  Ier stages, [Craftsman] advao a very powerful profession: [Creator of the Objective World and Material Existence].

  Such a lengthy name is, of course, the result of mae transtion.

  Pyers usually refer to it simply and crudely as—Creator.

  FAL