Laurem stared in a daze as though he has fallen into a spell.

It's his first time seeing something spectacular.

The other person's face is ordinary and unimpressive, something you will forget even after seeing it several times. It's the kind of face that, when your eyes are fixed on it, appears somewhat better than average.

But that's only it.

This person is unremarkable in any way. Laurem, however, was unable to take his eyes off of him, completely mesmerized. There is something about this person's behavior that drew him in.

His eyes held a special spark.

His stunningly expressive eyes reflected an oddly wise duality of matter, creating an impression inconceivable to the knowledge of men. The blend of green and hazel brown somehow comfortably resembles the color of warm honey and green pastures, highlighted with gold streaks that seem to be sparkling against the dark backdrop.

Laurem couldn't tell who or why this person was here, but he does think it would be nice if he could get a glimpse of those eyes. Even if only for a moment. It seems as though he is peering into a separate world dimension.

It is as if he was gazing at a star.

Jin Wei could feel the pulsating pain on his forehead as he cradled his head with his two small hands. He has a high threshold for pain and would not weep just simply because he was whacked like that, but a child's tear ducts cannot be controlled freely as he subconsciously let out a psychological tear.

A few beads of water lingered in the corner of his lovely eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.

Despite being regressed in this way, Jin Wei ought to have the abilities to avoid being harmed in any condition. He did not expect the child to get up so suddenly, so he was unable to avoid the blow and was even forced to sit back. The abrupt occurrences also caught the system off guard, and it frantically encircled Jin Wei's head.

The old transmigrator suddenly felt aggrieved. He had never been embarrassed like this.

Jin Wei sternly eyed his system. He merely intended to take a quick look around to see the protagonist closely, but instead he was suddenly assaulted only by "thinking" of trying to tease the child. He had not done anything yet, but the World's consciousness is already protecting its begotten son.

What would have happened if he executed his given tasks?

Who would have guessed that his first accident would be caused by the protagonist accidentally smacking his forehead?

Jin Wei was criticizing himself, the system, and the irresponsible Ninth Heavens officials when he sensed a chilling glare aimed at him. It sent off all the alarms in his brain and made him shudder in terror. This aura is extremely hostile.

He looked up to check who it was, but was startled to see the protagonist leaning close - so close that their noses would touch if he leaned any inch closer.

His breathing went ragged, and his eyes widened as though being blinded by light. His head shattered in a heartbeat, his thoughts instantly failing to function. Jin Wei now realized what it was like to be a printer facing deadlines at the end of school terms after millions of years.

It just stops working for no apparent reason.

Everything is silent, as if they are the only ones existing.

Two sets of eyes looking at each other, affirming a presence that neither is certain is there.

The protagonist is bent on one knee, his thin shoulders stooped forward, and his right hand outstretches, closely touching Jin Wei's cheeks. His wide eyes are fixed on him, intently scrutinizing Jin Wei's face.

He is like an alchemist who finally found his philosopher's stone or a devoted moth unceasingly flying around an uncovered candle lamp.

Laurem couldn't help but be fascinated now that he's getting a better look at Jin Wei's face. It must have been a trick of the light that gave him the impression that Jin Wei looked ordinary. He certainly wasn't! Not with this sort of face that may captivate anyone who looks at him.

Look at his nose! His ears! His lips! And especially his eyes! The most beautiful part of his face is his eyes!

Laurem's somewhat trembling hands carefully tried to trace the outline of Jin Wei’s eyes, his fingers brushing against the long eyelashes. Jin Wei instinctively blinked, the bristle of his eyelashes softly tickling Laurem’s fingers. That moment of contact made Laurem realized his hands were too dirty to touch such a dazzling thing.

The first thing he did is to lower his hand and wipe it to his soiled clothes, which only made his hands more dirty. Seeing that no part of his clothes is clean made Laurem feel distressed. How could he touch this beautiful being with his filthy hands?

Laurem's frantic attempts were successful at bringing Jin Wei's soul back to Earth. Jin Wei cast a weird glance towards Laurem. He'd travelled to many worlds, but this was the first time he'd come across such a peculiar situation.

Why does he feel so weak and overwhelmed all of a sudden?

How could such kind of power come from such a small body?

Jin Wei was still assessing the situation when Laurem stretched his hand out again to touch Jin Wei's face. Jin Wei dislikes the intimate overstepping of boundaries, so he slapped Laurem’s cheeks without second thoughts.

Yes, he slapped him.

Laurem: "..."

System 777: "..."

「Ah... um... The host slapped the protagonist one time(s). Host completed 0.10% of the task. Please continue your hard work.」

Jin Wei wanted to apologize for suddenly slapping the protagonist, but after hearing the notification coming from the system, he got enlightened. He looked at the palm he used to slap Laurem and felt a sudden warm rush of anticipation and excitement in his heart and body.

Jin Wei slapped Laurem ten more times with no reluctance.

Laurem: "..."

Laurem: “!!!”

He remembered his tasks in this world and asked the system again whether it was safe to continue. System 777 reassured him that no matter what he did to the protagonist, he won't be punished. Jin Wei's eyes brightened as he smiled mischievously at Laurem, his fists braced for another round of slapping.

Who knows when will this free lunch be available again?

The tasks given to him are not difficult but need to be done in a certain length of time. Jin Wei isn't the type of person to procrastinate. His motto in life is Finish work first, then rest forever. If finishing the task earlier could benefit him, then do it as soon as possible.

It is like he'd rather get accelerated in school to finish college early, in that way he need not spend at least seventeen years of schooling.

On the other hand, Laurem is completely stupefied.

The first slap was quite strong and with a flimsy body like his, he could immediately feel the afterglow of the slap. He rubbed his cheeks in confusion as he gave Jin Wei a look. Jin Wei looked innocent and pure. He could’ve not slapped him, right?

No, he’s wrong with that. The following ten slaps guaranteed that he is awake and not dreaming at all ba!

Who would ever think that this person whom he felt comfortable with would suddenly slap him, not only once, but with ten consecutive hits?

He had already decided that Jin Wei is harmless, so what is this sudden change of characterization?

So that feeling of reassurance is false?

Suddenly, all the good things that he thought he could achieve was broken by a single slap. And by finishing that ten slaps, he had already lost his reason. What was left is his disdain for this world and the feeling of remorse towards humankind.

He didn't do anything bad, so why is he suffering like this?

He wanted to complain.

The fury within the beast resonated with his aspirations. The demon's senses were replaced by the hypersensitivity of a beast. He could now sense his surroundings considerably better, and even the quiet heartbeat of the person in front of him was audible. This ability enabled him to foresee his prey's next move by listening to its pulse.

Jin Wei was ready to do another set of slaps when he felt a sudden hostility coming from the protagonist. He took a step back but was unable to avoid the attack when Laurem suddenly launched himself forward. Pushed by a powerful force, Jin Wei was pinned to the ground effortlessly.

Since he has no power as a mob character, he was quickly contained by the eight-year-old kid.

He is then forced to accept a dozen punches from the protagonist. Laurem's rationality is currently suppressed by his desire to fight, so his punches are nowhere light. This made Jin Wei so helpless. He never thought that simply slapping Laurem could trigger his raw emotion of rage.

It was a mesmerizing strength, but equally dangerous.

There is no other way to deal with this situation than to fight back. Jin Wei is not a herbivore, so he won't be easily defeated. Like Laurem, he also launched his full strength on rebounding punches, slaps, and kicks towards the protagonist.

If one hit could count, then he will push forward.

Thankfully, Jin Wei's strength logically matched his appearance, so he is only stronger by a small margin compared to the younger individual. Also, a mob character's strength is not something that could be bragged up, to begin with.

Now, the mere encounter resulted in a children's fistfight.

#FaceslappingTheProtagonistBegins
#OneSlapforJinWeisFreedom