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Soul weapons are weapons that utilise one’s own soul as a weapon spirit. With its ability to constantly grow, the strongest soul weapon was said to be as powerful as a demigod-grade weapon with a complete soul.

However, a soul weapon will never evolve into a demigod-grade weapon, due to the fact that it employs the user’s own soul as a weapon spirit. Naturally, if the user was willing to sacrifice his own life and transmute his own soul into the soul weapon… that would be an entirely different story, though that only existed in the theoretical realm; no one had ever been recorded as having succeeded.

According to legends, these weapons were invented to eventually grow to become a divine-grade weapon, an indirect way of achieving divinity.

But a mortal’s soul has limits -they could hardly withstand the powers residing in a divine-grade weapon. Because of that, the best a soul weapon could ever hope to achieve is something akin to demigod-grade, but not truly that.

Over time, those who engaged in such practises grew lesser and lesser, to the point where even knowledge of its existence was beginning to go extinct…

The pseudo-demigod state was also renamed Legend-grade, meaning it only existed in the legends, a grade between Epic and Demigod.

—–From Legends of the Soul Weapon

We’ve found the source of the infection -the Gene Enhancement Serum.

Roughly a week ago, a company known as Life Unbound Biotech Private Limited started selling this serum en masse. The serum was said to be able to, without side effects, improve one’s body, cure chronic diseases, allow a severely handicapped person to walk again, and even lengthen one’s lifespan.

At least… that was what the adverts touted. It was basically on the same level as human evolution at that point. Something you would regret for life if you passed on this opportunity.

The advertisements promised the moon, but after several tried it out themselves, the people found to their great surprise that the advertisements were actually true.

However, all of that was just a front. The serum was a trap. The company’s true aim was to turn everyone who drank the serum into a zombie.

For the time being, their aim of zombification wasn’t widely known yet. But for a company to so brazenly sell a virus like that, this was most likely only the start of a grand conspiracy.

Even though communications with the outside world were shut off, as long as we stayed within a certain range of each other, we could still remotely send messages to each other via our AI assistants.

Now that I had slain the blonde zombie, this suite was no longer fit for living. At the very least, I would be the first to admit that I wasn’t brave enough to live in a room with a corpse.

Yet the moment we were about to leave, my system suddenly beeped.

“Ding! Host has been detected entering a large instance. System will now enter into emergency update mode… Update complete: commencing insertion of programme… 1%… 30%… 100%… Insertion complete… Magical Girl Harem Grooming System 2.0: Harem Combat Mode, activate…”

The system has updated? Still with that insertion nonsense too… I just can’t get used to that!

“Hold on, my system just updated…” I took a seat again, ignoring that corpse nearby, and opened up the system menu.

System, what are the changes in this update?

“Magical Girl Harem Grooming System 2.0: Harem Combat Mode has upgraded its harem grooming systems, as well as its internal marketplace. Because our valued host is currently on a planet not suited for mana, Mana Increase Cards have been changed to Spiritual Energy (SP) Increase Cards. The Marketplace has undergone the greatest changes with all of its skill cards being usable on targets other than our valued host. However, to do that, the skill card has to be expended along with the necessary points to match the card’s value.

Wait so the SP Increase Cards can be used on others now?

“Yes. Points do not have to be expended when using these cards as well.”

Can’t I just transfer my points into SP directly for them, just like I do when I’m cultivating?

“No. They aren’t able to enjoy such privileges like our valued host.”

You say valued, but those SP Increase Cards are just as disgustingly expensive as the Mana Increase Cards. Giving them skill cards alone is pointless too…

After all, out of those three girls, only Lixiang had accumulated significant SP from cultivating the Martial Sage Arts of the Primordial Energies since young. Bitong and Jiao were still ordinary girls.

“Our valued host does not need to worry on that front. Every original resident of this world has SP within them. Only an appropriate skill is required to activate their SP, and soon they will be able to exhibit astonishing battle strength as well.”

Assuming I have the points for it, am I right?

“Yes. There is no such thing as a free meal in this world, not even for our valued host.”

But gathering enough points is hard as is. Missions don’t even pop up that often, so I doubt I can even afford those skills.

“Once again, our valued host need not worry. Thanks to the system update, each time our valued host kills a zombie, he will gain at least one point, and that amount rises as the enemy gets stronger.”

Killing zombies gives me points now?

So I just killed three, doesn’t that mean…

I hurriedly opened up my status menu…

Host: Mo Ke
Race: Human
Gender: Possibly Male
Level: Three
Talents: Apprentice Fire Control
SP: 60
Skills: …
Points: 3

Holy potatoes, the points are actually there!

Up till now, each time I gained points, it would accumulate in my SP instead. Thanks to that, my points had been a big fat zero till now. Because I killed those three zombies, I got three points. Now that I could even buy skill cards for Bitong and the others to learn, our chances of survival in this apocalyptic world had risen significantly!

“The most recent update has given the system greater administrative access and the corresponding ability to aid our valued host more. Furthermore, the harem grooming mechanism has been updated to allow our valued host to sign a pact with his valued harem members. By doing so, such members would give our valued host points whenever they kill a zombie.”

How exactly do I sign this pact of yours?

“A mere signature is required in the Book of Oaths, said book is already in our valued host’s inventory.”

Then do those members I sign a pact with still cost me points when they use up a skill card?

“They do.”

Scammer! You scamming system!

“Please note: the system will not ignore any slander on the part of our valued host, even if he is in a perilous situation. This system will not hesitate to…”

Will not hesitate to switch a host, right? I’ve heard that a million times already… Bah, let’s talk about this so-called aid you can offer me instead.

“Will our valued host have a look inside his inventory, there should be an Update gift pack inside.”

An Update gift pack? Wait where’s the gift pack for 1.0 then? Don’t tell me you scammed me again?

“That’s because this is the Combat Update. In order to increase our valued host’s survival rate, the system has specially approved this gift.”

Hearing that suspiciously straight-laced answer to my question, I was pretty sure that I had been scammed… After all, it’s not like there’s been any cases of a host dying simply because a gift pack wasn’t given!

However, now wasn’t the time to be knocking her about spilt milk. Thus, I dug into my inventory, ignoring the Book of Oaths temporarily to open up the Update gift pack the system so generously gave me.

First off, there were three antidotes inside. Next, three small bottles of recovery potion, three mana recovery potions, each costing 10 points in the Marketplace.

(TL: I think he means SP recovery potions?)

Of note was the ‘Antidote’ potion: it could even cure an infected of the zombie virus, though it only worked before the infected turned into a zombie.

Next, a weapon that looked like a cross between a sword and a blade appeared in my hands. The moment I grabbed it, I could feel it jump to life. A biting coldness and explosive heat, two diametrically opposed forces rushing into my body at the same time…

Strangely enough, the two forces actually balanced each other out in an impossible harmony, swirling about in my body like spiritual energy before quietly returning to the weapon itself…

Icy Inferno (Sealed)
Grade: Epic
Element: Ice, Fire
Special Effect: When attacking an enemy, inflict both fire and ice damage.
Background: This sword was once owned by an up-and-coming demon hunter. Unfortunately, her young age meant that she had not the strength to keep this sword.

Gripping down on the sword, I could feel a pain rip through my heart…

“Ke? What’s the matter? Where did that sword come from?”

“Big brother, you shouldn’t be messing around with magic tricks if you’re not feeling well…”

“Your Highness, is that your personal sword? It’s really beautiful… but in your sealed state, perhaps invoking it might be too much. Please sheath your weapon, we can protect ourselves.”

Clearly, the girls had no idea where this sword came from, but they all seemed to have their own opinions about it.

Right now, my right arm had lowered the sword, while my left was gripping on my chest -definitely a sign that something was wrong.

However, the pain in my heart wasn’t a physical one, thus it faded as quickly as it came.

Naturally, I had no idea what Epic-grade meant, but if it was a sword worth sealing, how bad could it have been?

Perhaps Lixiang was right. Using such a weapon in my current state was asking too much, that was why the system had it sealed.

As for the special effect written on its description, that was worth a shot.

I faced a nearby table and casually sliced at one of its corners. The sword easily sliced through it like butter. However, what was even more amazing was the fact that the sliced off portion had turned into ice while the wound on the table itself was now covered in soot like it had been burned.

Had it not been for the fact that the table was made out of fire-resistant material, I was sure the fire extinguisher system above would have already reacted.

Strong! I unreservedly gave the weapon that rating.

“Uwah! Look at that sword cut!” Curious, Jiaojiao ran her finger across the blade of Icy Inferno. Yet the moment she touched its metallic body, she immediately drew her finger back. “Ouch… it’s so cold… and hot…”

“What are you talking about? It’s just a sword. How can it be cold or hot?” Bitong grabbed the little girl’s finger and gently blew on it. She did not feel any change in its temperature so asked once more, “ You’re sure about that?”

Clearly, she did not believe in the power of Icy Inferno.

Shameless Self-promotion

Announcement: I’ve re-opened my Patreon in case anyone wants to sponsor more chapters. Every end of the month, those chapters in early access will be released for free for all to read. If you sponsored a chapter, you will gain permanent early access to these chapters. Essentially, everyone gets more chapters to read, but those who donated get to read earlier. More chapters will then be translated at the start of the month. Explanation on the Patreon itself.

LINK HERE