C8 Sanctum of Invocations

As the beggars surged forward like a tide, Liu Xiaobao was terrified. He hastily discarded his breakfast and scurried to a corner of the Taoist temple to take cover. Labino followed suit, tossing her breakfast onto the ground and squatting beside Xiaobao to observe.

Labino remarked, "Young Master, didn't I tell you that beggars could be dangerous? You wouldn't believe me."

"They are indeed dangerous," Xiaobao admitted. "They must be starving, getting so worked up over some buns. Lucky for me, I'm a fast runner."

"Young Master, what now? Are we just going to sit here and watch?"

"What else can we do? We'll wait until they've finished eating and assess the situation. If my hunch is correct, we could strike it rich!" Xiaobao believed that aiding the beggars was a meritorious act, though he wasn't sure how much merit it would bring. If helping one beggar could add 100 points, that would be unthinkable. Such calculations were mere fantasies. After all, he had only gained 50 points for rescuing a mother and her child the day before.

After the beggars had devoured all the steamed buns, a middle-aged beggar approached Xiaobao, who was still squatting on the ground. "Young Master, we are grateful for your generous donation. On behalf of my brothers, I thank you," he said.

"It's only right," Xiaobao responded. "We all live in the capital; I can't stand by and watch my brothers suffer. Yesterday, I was inspired by the divine to help you out of your misery," he fabricated.

"Heavenly God? We beggars don't worship such beings. If the heavens were truly kind, why would we be reduced to begging?" The middle-aged beggar gazed skyward with a carefree air, exuding the aura of a sage, despite his ragged attire.

Xiaobao observed, "Uncle, you seem strong and sturdy, with muscles that could save your life and a tall stature. Wouldn't you be better off as a bodyguard or mercenary?"

"Hehe, Young Master, you jest. How could I possibly be a mercenary? With your divine guidance, can't you see that I'm destined to be a beggar?" Wang Jiu, the middle-aged beggar, bowed with a fist in palm. "I am Wang Jiu, the leader of this group."

"So it's Big Brother Wang Jiu!" Liu Xiaobao, who had been ready to tease, suddenly heard a voice from the system in his mind, "Please wait a moment, Big Brother Wang Jiu. I have something to take care of."

Labino, concerned, asked, "What's the matter, young master? Is it a recurrence of an old injury? Labino will take you back immediately."

As she spoke, Labino wrapped her arms around Liu Xiaobao's slender waist, preparing to carry him back.

Liu Xiaobao quickly stopped Labino's impulsive action. "Labino, hold on. I'm alright. Remember, helping others brings blessings from the heavens? The young master is about to transform."

Karma point +1

Karma point +1

Karma point +1

Karma point +1

...

Host level: 0. Leveling up requires 50 karma points; 62 points remain.

Would you like to level up?

The sound of "Karma point +1" echoed in Liu Xiaobao's mind for quite some time before the addition of karma points concluded. Based on the remaining points, Liu Xiaobao knew he had accumulated a total of 62 points this time.

"Not too shabby. Helping just one beggar might not yield much, but the sum of this entire group adds up nicely," Liu Xiaobao thought to himself. "I choose to level up."

Dong, dong, dong!

Host level 1, requiring 500 karma points to level up, with 12 karma points remaining.

New feature unlocked: Sanctum of Invocations

Level up successful, 100 Stat Points awarded, please allocate the Stat Points.

"What's this Sanctum of Invocations? And 100 Stat Points as a reward? How should I allocate them?" Liu Xiaobao inquired of the system, "Yinyin, can you tell me what these Stat Points are?"

"The host's attributes include Endurance, Strength, Spirit, Divine Power, and Physical Strength. Endurance enhances the host's physical condition and improves stamina for prolonged combat; Strength boosts the host's power and speed, enhancing martial prowess; Spirit fortifies the host's psychic force, making the host more intelligent and improving knowledge retention; Divine Power is the value used for casting spells; Physical Strength represents the host's health condition, which can be maintained through self-care. If Physical Strength drops to zero, the host dies."

"So that's how it is," Liu Xiaobao mused, finally reaching a decision after much deliberation. "I'll add 40 to Endurance and 60 to Strength."

Liu Xiaobao had pondered over the allocation of his attributes for quite some time. He wouldn't consider physical strength; he wasn't ill, and he saw no point in squandering Stat Points on something that could be improved with simple self-care. Divine Power was also out of the question; without any spells to his name, what good would it do? As for psychic force, he was a college graduate—surely that was a testament to his intelligence. Deep down, Liu Xiaobao refused to believe he was a fool.

Endurance, now that was a valuable asset. He likened it to donning an invisible suit of armor, enhancing his resilience. With robust endurance, he could take more hits in the future, couldn't he? Strength was an obvious priority; it was the most evident sign of his growing power.

Dong, dong, dong!

Host level 1, 500 karma points needed to level up, 12 karma points remaining.

Function: Sanctum of Invocations.

Endurance: 45

Strength: 65

Spirit: 12

Divine Power: 0

Stamina: 8

Upon hearing the system's report of his attributes, Liu Xiaobao surmised that the average person's attributes must be around 10. His psychic force was at 12, slightly above average, befitting someone of his education. He recalled the last time he was severely injured by Chen Wenkai, when he faintly heard the system's report; both his psychic force and stamina had plummeted. The beating had clearly left his mind in disarray and his stamina depleted.

"Now, with an endurance of 45 and strength of 65, I wonder what level I've achieved. Maybe I should head to the Knight Alliance for a test?"

Liu Xiaobao remained motionless, lost in thought. Wang Jiu turned to Labino and inquired, "Little girl, what's with your young master? He's been standing there for half an hour."

"Don't interrupt the young master; he's truly becoming stronger. It's incredible—he's become just like Labino in no time!" Labino, still embracing Liu Xiaobao, could sense his burgeoning strength. As someone of the Black Iron tier, she could tell that Xiaobao was quickly approaching her level. She suspected he had already attained the rank of a Black Iron Knight. "Could it be that the young master has divine assistance? How else could he have grown so powerful just by providing breakfast to the beggars?"

"Alright, you all stay here. I need to hit the streets and beg with my brothers," Wang Jiu said as he turned and entered the dilapidated temple to retrieve his cherished, cracked bowl. He emerged with a few fellow beggars and, before departing, turned to the girl and instructed, "If your young master shows any sign of life, ask him if there will be any buns left for breakfast tomorrow."

One of the beggars next to Wang Jiu inquired, "Boss, what's up with that kid? How did he go from being an average Joe to a Level 2 powerhouse overnight?"

Wang Jiu replied, "Who can say? Maybe there's some truth to the kid's claim of divine assistance. Why the curiosity? Let's move and stake out our spots, or we'll end up with nowhere to panhandle."

As the eastern sun began its slow ascent, the temple's beggars had already taken to the streets to embark on their day's endeavors, leaving only Liu Xiaobao and Labino in the courtyard.

Liu Xiaobao was inquiring about the Sanctum of Invocations. "Yinyin, I know you can hear me. What is the Sanctum of Invocations?"

"You don't need to concern yourself with what the Sanctum of Invocations is at the moment. I'll show you how to enter my domain and assist you in utilizing the Sanctum," the crisp, delightful voice of Yinyin informed Liu Xiaobao. "To enter, simply recite a chant in your mind."

"What chant?"

"Lord Yinyin, my blessings."

"Come on, that's a chant? You're not pulling my leg, are you?" Liu Xiaobao had never heard of a chant quite like this and couldn't help but feel skeptical.

Yinyin responded, "Believe it or not, that's your choice. But let me tell you, the Sanctum of Invocations holds immense power. Master it, and the world is your playground."

"Fine, I'll trust you," Liu Xiaobao declared internally, "Lord Yinyin, my blessings!"

Suddenly, Liu Xiaobao felt as if his spirit had left his body, finding himself standing atop the same grand, auspicious cloud he had visited before. The cloud was unchanged, with the familiar table and chair at its center, where Yinyin was still engrossed in her phone. To the left, a majestic palace had materialized, its splendor and grandeur commanding reverence. Emblazoned above the entrance was a sign that read "Sanctum of Invocations."

Liu Xiaobao rushed up to Yinyin and urgently inquired, "Yinyin, can you tell me how to use the Sanctum of Invocations?"

Yinyin instructed, "Simply think 'activate the Sanctum of Invocations' in your mind. You'll understand how it works."

"Activate the Sanctum of Invocations," Liu Xiaobao murmured to himself, following Yinyin's guidance.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his thoughts, "Welcome to the Sanctum of Invocations. I am Honghong, your attendant. Your host level is 1, summoning level is 1, and you have 12 remaining karma points."

Summoning level 1? Does that mean I can summon a pet here? Liu Xiaobao pondered, then asked, "Honghong, how do I operate the Sanctum of Invocations?"

"Please come this way," beckoned a fairy clad in red, gesturing to Liu Xiaobao from in front of the grand hall of the Sanctum of Invocations.

Confused, Liu Xiaobao turned to Yinyin and asked, "What's happening here?"

Yinyin replied, somewhat impatiently, "What do you think? You've activated the Sanctum of Invocations, so its attendant has been activated as well. Now go on, and stop bothering me."

Liu Xiaobao jogged to the Sanctum of Invocations, only to find its doors firmly closed. He inquired, "Miss Honghong, why is the Sanctum of Invocations shut? May I enter?"

"You cannot enter just yet," she responded.

"Please, don't call me 'host.' Call me Xiaobao. But why can't I enter the Sanctum of Invocations?" Liu Xiaobao was feeling a bit frustrated with Honghong's impersonal manner, akin to a robot's. After all, she was a beautiful woman standing right before him, and if she continued to sound like a robot, it would be quite dull.

"Xiaobao, neither you nor I can enter," Honghong explained, pointing to a small black hole on the door. "This hole connects to the inside of the Sanctum of Invocations. Whenever you wish to use karma points to summon a character, they will emerge from here and enter your world. The Sanctum contains many formidable individuals. If we were to open the doors, it would cause chaos. They will only heed your commands after being summoned with karma points and guided through this hole by me."

"How do I go about summoning them?"

"At your current host level 1, you can only summon a random level 1 character. Each summon will cost you 10 karma points."

"I've got 12 karma points left. Let's summon one now."

"Very well, simply think 'Summon Level 1 character' in your mind."

Liu Xiaobao did exactly that: "Summon Level 1 character."

"The host has expended 10 karma points, with 2 remaining," Yinyin's system voice echoed in Liu Xiaobao's mind.

There was no reaction. "What's going on? Have I just wasted my karma points?"

"Not at all," Honghong reassured him, "The character you summoned has been sent to your world."