Lin Fan coughed up blood as he crawled backward across the damp dungeon floor.
The C-Rank dungeon smelled like rotten meat and mold. His so-called party had ditched him ten minutes ago, using him as literal monster bait.
"Those bastards…" he muttered, clutching the deep gash on his stomach. "I knew joining a random party was a bad idea."
A low growl echoed from the corridor. Three goblin-like creatures stepped into the dim torchlight, their slimy green skin glistening under the flickering light. Their yellow eyes locked onto him like fresh meat.
Lin Fan's heart hammered. He was only F-Rank. His stats were trash. No skills worth mentioning.
He was going to die here.
Just as the first goblin raised its rusty dagger, a robotic voice suddenly rang inside his head.
[Ding! Host is on the verge of death. Detecting extreme resentment and unwillingness.]
[Absolute Aegis Gacha System activating…]
[Binding complete. Congratulations, Host. You are now the sole owner of the Absolute Gacha System.]
Lin Fan blinked, his vision blurring from blood loss. "What the hell…?"
A translucent blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[Welcome, Host. Because of your pathetic luck and miserable life, the System has granted you the ultimate privilege.]
[Every pull is guaranteed SSR or higher.]
[Current Abyssal Cores: 0]
Lin Fan let out a weak, bitter laugh. "Even in my final moments, I'm getting trolled by a system…"
The goblins screeched and charged.
The lead goblin swung its dagger down.
Right before the blade connected, golden light exploded from Lin Fan's body. The system voice spoke again, this time louder.
[First Emergency Pull activated due to Host's critical condition!]
[Consuming all available emergency energy…]
[Single Pull… Success!]
A radiant light burst in front of him. When it faded, a beautiful sword with a glowing white blade hovered in the air. Ancient runes danced along its edge.
At the same time, a figure materialized beside it.
She was stunning. Long silver hair, icy blue eyes, and an elegant white-and-blue hanfu that looked too pure for this filthy dungeon. Her presence alone made the air feel colder.
Bai Yuling had arrived.
The goblins froze mid-step, clearly sensing the terrifying aura coming from the woman.
Lin Fan stared, mouth hanging open. "Holy shit… did I just pull a goddess?"
Before he could say anything else, the sword suddenly spoke directly into his mind, its voice deep and righteous like an old sect elder.
"Young man! In my day, a true cultivator would never allow himself to be reduced to mere bait! Stand up and face your enemies with honor!"
Lin Fan's eye twitched. "Bro… I'm literally dying. Can you shut up for a second?"
The sword — Zhantian Jian — huffed. "Hmph! Kids these days have no backbone!"
Bai Yuling turned her head gracefully toward the goblins. Her expression was calm and noble as she raised her slender hand.
A wave of freezing sword intent erupted.
In one clean motion, she slashed the air.
The three goblins were sliced into frozen pieces before they could even scream. Ice crystals sparkled as their bodies shattered on the ground.
Lin Fan's eyes widened. "That… was insane."
He tried to stand, but pain flared through his body. He collapsed again.
Bai Yuling turned to him, her beautiful face softening with concern. She took one elegant step forward, clearly intending to help.
Then she stopped.
Her eyes landed on the goblin blood and green slime that had splattered across the floor… and a single tiny drop that had landed on the hem of her pristine dress.
Her face instantly turned pale.
"Eek—!!"
The god-tier swordswoman, the Fairy of the Frozen Heavens, let out a high-pitched shriek that echoed through the entire dungeon corridor.
She jumped back several meters, eyes wide with pure horror. "Disgusting! Filthy! There's monster filth on my dress! Get it off! Get it off right now!"
Lin Fan stared at her in disbelief, still bleeding on the ground.
The system screen flashed again.
[Ding! Bai Yuling has acquired the 'Acute Disgust' status.]
Lin Fan felt a massive headache coming on.
He had just gotten an SSR waifu who could probably solo the entire dungeon… but she was currently having a full-blown panic attack because of one drop of goblin blood.
Zhantian Jian's voice boomed in his head again.
"See? This is what happens when you rely on external power without proper moral foundation! In my day—"
"Shut. Up." Lin Fan groaned.
He looked at the screaming beauty, then at the sword that wouldn't stop lecturing him, and finally at the system notification still floating in front of him.
[You have received your first SSR Hero: Bai Yuling (Fairy of the Frozen Heavens)]
[You have received: Heaven Conquering Sword (Zhantian Jian) – Ego Weapon]
Lin Fan closed his eyes for a second and whispered tiredly,
"…I'm so fucked, aren't I?"
Right at that moment, the ground began to shake violently.
A much louder roar echoed from deeper inside the dungeon. The real C-Rank Boss was coming.
Bai Yuling was still frantically trying to wipe the tiny bloodstain with a handkerchief, completely ignoring the incoming threat.
Zhantian Jian shouted, "Host! Prepare for battle! Show your righteous heart!"
Lin Fan stared at the chaotic scene in front of him and muttered one last line before forcing himself to stand.
"System… next time you want to save me, at least give me normal teammates."
The system stayed silent.
But somewhere in the back of his mind, he could almost hear it laughing.