In the mirror stood a girl in the prime of her youth.
Her long black hair was soft and sleek, cascading over her shoulders.
Her delicate features radiated a quiet beauty, yet there was a faint trace of frailty between her brows.
Li Wen wasn’t surprised by the girl’s looks—well, perhaps a little.
She was undeniably beautiful.
But what truly unsettled him was the nagging sense of familiarity.
He knew that face, or at least felt like he should, though not a single clear memory came to mind.
【Please edit and confirm your name!】
“…Mephist.”
After a moment of thought, Li Wen chose to use his former name, borrowed from the demon in Faust.
In World Tree: Origins, usernames could be repeated, so the choice held little practical meaning.
【Name confirmed. Please edit and confirm your character appearance!】
Despite the word “edit,” the options were limited to slight adjustments based on one’s real appearance.
As Li Wen contemplated, the girl in the mirror subtly shifted.
After a bit of tweaking, he was finally satisfied—he cut the hair from waist-length to shoulder-length, softened the sickly aura, and made a few minor cosmetic changes.
All he needed was for people who knew him not to recognize him immediately—that was good enough.
【Please select your race.】
The single mirror suddenly split into six, each reflecting a different version of Li Wen.
Terran Human, Highlander, White Elf, Half-Elf, Gnome, Citizen of the Sin Capital.
“Terran Human.”
He made his choice without hesitation.
Among the six races, humans were the most balanced—no strong advantages, but no glaring weaknesses either.
Highlanders, for instance, had incredible physiques but came with the innate negative trait [Clumsy], making them unable to use dexterous or high-precision weapons.
Gnomes were ugly but had great creativity.
Elves lived long but lacked the complete lineage flexibility humans enjoyed…
Factoring in social compatibility, humans were still the best pick.
Even the guide had come to the same conclusion.
Once the race was chosen, the six mirrors vanished.
In their place appeared a long stairway rising endlessly into the void, spiraling upward toward some unknown destination.
Li Wen began to climb.
He didn’t know how long he had been walking—maybe a few minutes, maybe days or months—before he finally reached the end.
A grand, towering cathedral stood before him.
“Welcome to the Chapel of Sacrifice…”
The moment he stepped inside, a gentle female voice echoed in his ears.
He didn’t bother looking for the speaker.
Instead, he raised his eyes and took in the interior.
Twelve statues lined the cathedral, each one depicting a distinct human or humanoid figure.
At the center was a raised platform upon which rested an old, ancient-looking book.
“The Whispering Elf has already given me your name, Mephist. Go forth and claim your gift.”
The voice spoke again.
He needed no further encouragement.
Li Wen placed his hand on the book.
【Nameless Book of Boons】
【Consumable – Book – Magic (Blue)】
【A blank book of gifts, said to be a relic of the ancient Noraton Empire. Its method of crafting has long been lost. Write your True Name upon it to receive a powerful blessing!】
【Upon use, receive [1] Extraordinary Boon and [2] Common Boons.】
【Write True Name?】
“Yes.”
As soon as the word left his mouth, the book dissolved into one blue and two white points of light, which flowed directly into his body.
【Item used. Silently recite “Boon” to open the Boon panel and allocate your Boon Points.】
Before the message even finished appearing, Li Wen had already whispered the word.
A glowing blue interface appeared before his eyes.
In it, the two white orbs and one blue orb floated in an inverted triangle formation.
Boon Points were an extremely rare resource in World Tree: Origins, used to unlock special traits and abilities.
And Li Wen already knew exactly what he wanted.
“Unlock the extraordinary trait 【Shadowstep】, and the common traits 【Dexterous Hands】 and 【Professional Pickpocket】.”
The three points of light burst open one by one, transforming into glowing spheres and embedding themselves into the panel before him.
【Shadowstep】
【Trait – Extraordinary (Blue) – Deepdark】
【Assassins of the Deepdark lineage are adept at moving silently within shadows. The most skilled among them are said to traverse the Shadow Realm itself.】
【When your entire body is cloaked in shadow, your presence is reduced by 50%. If you possess a Deepdark-class profession, the effect is increased by another 10%.】
【Dexterous Hands】
【Trait – Common (White) – General】
【Your hands are exceptionally nimble, capable of performing intricate, delicate manual tasks.】
【Professional Pickpocket】
【Trait – Common (White) – General】
【You are a trained pickpocket, able to steal wallets from others with ease.】
With these three traits, Li Wen was one step closer to his goal.
Just as he turned to leave, a thought returned to him—an old rumor passed among members of the strategy team.
It wasn’t quite a guide or a trick, just a whispered tale.
It was said that one player had been disabled in real life and chose to carry that characteristic over into the game.
Strangely, they had received additional Boon Points as a result.
This led to speculation: perhaps the game contained a hidden defect compensation mechanic.
The logic had precedent.
In Terran culture, people born with disabilities were often believed to possess unique talents in other areas.
Li Wen began to wonder: if a disabled person could choose to keep their affliction and receive a reward, could a healthy person voluntarily sacrifice a physical function in exchange for more Boon Points?
And this place was called the Chapel of Sacrifice…
“I want to sacrifice!”
He acted on the thought without hesitation.
Yet the game didn’t respond.
Li Wen was starting to suspect he’d been mistaken when the woman’s voice rang out for a third time.
“…Are you sure?”
Li Wen’s heart gave a sudden jolt.
“I’m sure.”
This time, there was no verbal reply.
Instead, the platform that once held the Book of Boons slowly disappeared, and in its place appeared a shallow pool of water.
Floating at the center was a dagger—pristine, pure, and ivory-white.
Li Wen didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward and picked it up.
【Please select a sacrificial offering】
This being his first attempt, he didn’t dare go overboard.
Carefully, he sliced off a lock of hair and dropped it into the pool.
But the hair dissolved without reaction.
Too small a price, he realized.
He began contemplating what part of himself he could afford to give up.
Hands and feet were essential—no.
Eyes were critical for combat, so they were out.
Ears and nose followed for similar reasons.
That left… taste?
Taste could be sacrificed.
But how?
The taste buds were mostly located on the tongue.
Would he have to cut the entire tongue out?
But if he lost his tongue, he wouldn’t be able to speak.
The game didn’t have a built-in voice system—without speech, he’d be forced to rely on hand gestures.
Worse still, he’d lose the ability to cast spoken spells.
Not viable.
He considered ribs—maybe losing one or two wouldn’t be too bad?
But the cost might be too trivial to earn a proper boon.
He even recalled how some people supposedly sold kidneys to buy phones… Could that work?
Tftc!
Say could mc sacrifice his dick for a boon? Since he chose female avatar which going to be his new body soon
Faust knows all outcomes