Chen Mo felt a surge within his body. His blood rushed faster, his heartbeat pounding like a drum. There was a crackling sound deep in his bones, as though steel reinforcements were being reshaped. His muscle fibers restructured, his skin tightened, becoming smooth and glossy. The sensation of being reborn made him groan softly.
[The beginner's gift package has been delivered to the system space. The host may extract it at any time.]
A system notification echoed in Chen Mo's mind. He blinked, and three translucent item icons appeared in his field of vision.
A small vial of golden liquid labeled [Divine Blood Ink].
A set of white-glowing [Pure Spirit Needles].
An ancient tome titled [Basic Tattoo Manual: Yang Seal Edition].
Before he could examine them further, a soft sound came from behind him.
The woman on the tattoo bed sat up. Chen Mo turned around, and she steadied herself with her hand on the edge of the bed. Her phoenix eyes, once filled with killing intent and despair, now looked clear and unguarded. She scanned her surroundings—tattoo designs on the walls, bloodstains on the floor, scattered medical supplies. Finally, her gaze locked onto Chen Mo.
She stepped lightly onto the floor, her bare feet making no sound. She walked up to him and extended her finger, lightly grasping the corner of his shirt. She tilted her head, her voice pure and soft, with a hint of hesitation. "Excuse me, who are you?"
She paused for a second.
"And... who am I?"
Chen Mo's lips twitched. Great, not only did he save a big shot, but now she's got amnesia. This just got more complicated.
He observed her. The once domineering air was gone, replaced with innocence and vulnerability. She was like a blank slate.
"My name is Chen Mo." He pointed at himself and then at her. "For now, you're called Nameless."
"Nameless?" The woman repeated, nodding thoughtfully.
"Sounds nice."
She released her grip on his shirt and started to wander around the store, curious about everything. She moved over to the wall, lightly brushing her fingers over the tattoo sketches.
"These drawings are beautiful."
"Those are tattoo designs," Chen Mo explained. "My job is to tattoo these designs onto people's bodies."
"Tattooed on the body?" Nameless turned to look at him, confused.
"Why put them on the body?"
"To look good, to commemorate something, for all sorts of reasons," Chen Mo answered, his mind elsewhere. The system had referred to her as the "Red Lotus Empress," and judging by the way the vengeful spirits feared her, her identity was definitely not simple. Now that she had amnesia, was that a good thing or a bad thing?
A sudden rumbling sound came from Nameless's stomach.
She froze, looking down at her belly, bewildered.
"What's that sound?"
"You're hungry." Chen Mo pointed at her stomach. "You need to eat."
"Eat?" Nameless repeated, her eyes bright with expectation.
Chen Mo checked the time—it was two in the morning. The only place open nearby was the barbecue shop owned by Fat Wang.
"Wait here." He grabbed his phone and wallet and headed for the door.
Nameless immediately followed, clutching the corner of his shirt.
"Where are you going?" Her tone was frantic.
"To get food. I'll be back soon."
"I want to go too," she insisted, her voice firm, not allowing for any argument.
Chen Mo glanced at her torn palace attire and then out the window at the rain.
"You'll catch a cold dressed like that."
Nameless looked down at her clothes, then walked to the store's resting area. There, she picked up Chen Mo's black hoodie and put it on, the oversized garment enveloping her, revealing her delicate white legs.
"Is it okay now?" She grabbed the corner of his shirt again, her gaze resolute.
Chen Mo sighed. "Fine, I'll take you with me. It's not like Fat Wang hasn't seen weirder customers."
They stepped outside. The rain had lessened, now just light drops. The red sign of "Fat Wang's BBQ" was still shining, with Wang busy tending to the grill. Chen Mo pushed the door open, and the bell rang clearly.
"Yo, Old Chen, what's up so late…" Wang Fat's voice trailed off when he looked up. His mouth hung open in surprise.
He stared at the woman behind Chen Mo.
"This is…"
"A friend," Chen Mo answered simply. "Give me ten mixed grill platters, five vegetable platters, and two bottles of beer."
"Ten?" Wang Fat asked. "You two are eating ten platters?"
"She eats a lot." Chen Mo sat at a window seat, with Nameless sitting beside him, her eyes scanning the shop curiously.
The aroma of grilled meat filled the air. Nameless sniffed the air, her eyes lighting up.
"It smells so good."
Wang Fat was quick—within ten minutes, the table was filled with platters of grilled meat. Nameless stared at the food with intense focus. She picked up a piece of meat and took a bite. Her eyes brightened.
The next scene left both Wang Fat and Chen Mo dumbstruck. Nameless's movements were graceful and quick, not at all rushed, but her speed was astonishing. She finished a skewer of meat in three bites, a skewer of vegetables in two. Ten platters of food disappeared before their eyes at a visible speed.
Wang Fat stood there, his hand frozen on the grill.
"I swear, this girl's so thin, is her stomach a black hole or something?"
Chen Mo was surprised. The [Divine Blood Ink] he had received from the system had a nourishing effect on the soul—maybe she needed a lot of energy to heal her soul injuries.
Twenty minutes later, the plates were all empty. Nameless leaned back in her chair, gently stroking her stomach.
"It was delicious." She said seriously to Wang Fat.
Wang Fat waved his hand. "If it's good, then it's good." He leaned closer to Chen Mo, whispering, "Old Chen, where did this girl come from? She's beautiful—she's not some runaway young miss from a big family, is she?"
"Stop guessing." Chen Mo stood up. "How much do I owe?"
"Three hundred and eighty. But since your friend is so supportive, three hundred will do."
Chen Mo paid and took Nameless back to the tattoo shop. After eating, Nameless was much more energetic. She wandered around the store, fascinated by everything. She approached the wooden box containing the ancient tattoo needles, reaching for them.
"Don't touch that." Chen Mo quickly stopped her. "It's dangerous."
Nameless withdrew her hand, still curious.
"Why is it dangerous?"
"Because those needles are very sharp. They could hurt you," he gave a simple explanation.
Nameless nodded in understanding. She walked over to the tattoo bed and pointed to her back.
"The flower on my back—did you draw it?"
"Kind of," Chen Mo remembered the feeling when he tattooed it—the sensation of power flowing through him had been truly unique.
"It's beautiful." Nameless tried to twist her body to see it, but couldn't. "Can you show it to me?"
Chen Mo found a small mirror and had her stand in front of a larger mirror, using the small one to reflect the image. The nine-colored lotus flower tattoo glowed under the light, each petal shimmering vividly. Nameless stared at the pattern in the mirror, her gaze deep.
"This flower…" Her voice trailed off, as though she was remembering something.
"I think I've seen it somewhere before."
Chen Mo's heart tightened. Was she about to regain her memory? But Nameless only paused for a few seconds before shaking her head.
"I can't remember." She turned around and grabbed Chen Mo's shirt again.
"Can I stay here with you?"
"Why?"
"Because I only remember you." Her tone was light, yet serious.
"Except for you, I don't remember anything else." She paused, adding, "And it feels safe here."
Safe? Chen Mo noticed that word. Her subconscious still remembered being hunted, even if she had forgotten the details. The sense of danger was still there.
"Okay." He nodded finally. "But there are conditions."
"What conditions?"
"You can't touch things in the shop, can't leave my sight, and…" Chen Mo thought for a moment before adding, "You can't reveal any of your special traits." She may have amnesia, but her heightened instincts and latent killing instincts must still be intact. If one day she lost control and accidentally killed someone on the street, that would be a huge problem.
"Special traits?" Nameless tilted her head, confused.
"Do I have any special traits?"
Chen Mo looked at her with innocence in her eyes. She didn't understand. She was like a blank slate, with no knowledge of social norms.
"Just don't." He nudged Nameless toward the bedroom. "Rest for now. If you need anything, just call me." He was about to close the door.
Nameless suddenly grabbed the doorframe.
"Wait." Her voice trembled.
"Is it dangerous for me to be alone here?"
Chen Mo looked into her eyes and saw the fear still lingering there. His heart softened. Even though she didn't remember the specifics, the fear of being hunted was deeply embedded in her subconscious.
"There's no danger." He explained. "The shop is protected. They can't get in."
Nameless still seemed uneasy, her grip on the door