Compared to the area in front of him that was like a ghost, this place was like a different world, with bright lights and many people coming and going. This street was not big, but it was the only commercial street in the vicinity. To the left was the slave district, and to the right was the slums.

The formation of the commercial street lies in purchasing power.
Biscuit, canned food, steamed buns, steamed buns, ham … These things that were eaten as snacks before the apocalypse had now become the staple food, and they were all luxurious foods. Because of the radiation, there was almost no place on Mars for cultivation or breeding. All the food was now grown in the greenhouse and produced indoors. Anything that ate, even a peanut, had become a rarity.
Liu Wei An had always been below the poverty line. Today, he had unexpectedly obtained 255 copper coins. Adding the 6 copper coins he had saved up, he had earned a total of 261 copper coins. This was his most prosperous period in the past three months.
10 copper coins for a bun, Liu Wei An took 10 in one go, 8 copper coins for a compressed biscuit, 10 copper coins for a bun, the rest of the money he had left was all energy tubes, 5 copper coins for a tube, a total of 16 copper coins.
One had to thank the game Plunder, the money inside and the real world were universal. The credit crisis was also a very important factor in the opening of the Apocalypse War. After the establishment of the three empires, the currency was unified, and the paper money, which was maintained on the basis of reputation, was cancelled. At present, there were basically three types of currency on the market: gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins.
Although most people chose to hibernate after nightfall due to the cold, those who were very hungry could not be excluded. In the dark of the night, there were countless sins that happened every night, and people like Liu Wei An, who didn't even have an ID card, would not even be able to ask about it if something happened.

Even though society was technologically advanced and civilization had advanced, this place was like a chaotic world to them. Fortunately, there were no accidents along the way. Liu Wei An felt that it was still too early. If there were still people wandering outside after ten o'clock, basically, something would happen.

Back in the basement, as expected, the lights in the room were turned off. Liu Wei An turned on the lights and Zhao Xin immediately saw the food in his hands. The steamed bun was still warm and his eyes lit up.
"Eat." Liu Wei An grabbed a steamed bun and started to eat. Although the steamed bun that he had not tasted for a long time was not as delicious as the one cooked on Earth, for someone who had drunk three months' worth of energy pipe, it was still an incredible delicacy.

Zhao Nannan looked at Liu Wei An without moving. How could she not know the difference between Steamed Bun and the energy pipe? However, in the end, it was no match for the hope in Zhao Xin's eyes. She felt a burst of sadness in her heart and silently grabbed a bun. When Zhao Xin saw her mother make a move, she lightly cheered. She quickly grabbed a bun and started to eat. Her face was brimming with a happy smile.
The energy contained in the energy tube could only ensure one's survival. There were also a lot of trace elements that the human body needed that were impossible to provide. After all, the price of the energy tube determined the quality of the food.

Zhao Nannan stopped eating after eating a bun. Seeing that her mother had stopped eating, Zhao Xin also stopped eating. Liu Wei An had already finished his second meal. He raised his head to look at Zhao Nannan and said softly, "Eat, in the game, I am already on the right path, there is no need to go hungry."

Zhao Nannan hesitated for a moment and then grabbed another bun. She knew her daughter very well. If she didn't eat it, she wouldn't eat it either. He was both touched and sad at the same time. He lowered his head so that Liu Wei An wouldn't see his red eyes. Zhao Xin happily grabbed another bun.
After eating three steamed buns, Liu Wei An returned to his bed. He thought for a while, grabbed his helmet and logged into the 'Plunder' game. Zhao Nannan glanced at him in surprise but did not say a word. Usually, Liu Wei An would drag his fatigue to sleep, but today seemed very different.
The bed was an old-fashioned iron frame bed, divided into two bunks. Liu Wei'an slept on the bottom bunk, while Zhao Nannan and her daughter slept on the top bunk. After Zhao Xin finished eating, Zhao Nan packed up the rest of the food and pulled Zhao Xin onto the bed. The 1.2m bed was a little narrow, but Zhao Nan felt an unprecedented warmth.
Entering the game, it was also night in the game. The time in the world of demon beasts and the world of humans seemed to be synchronized, and the sky and the sun were present during the day, with 24 hours a day. The only difference was that the night moon in the world of demon beasts was red, making it look extremely demonic.
Due to his physical fitness, Liu Wei An always logged on during the day. At night, he could only maintain his physical strength for an average of six hours. Seven hours was his limit. It was also his first time going online at night.

The night in Stone City was much calmer than during the day, and the traffic was reduced by more than half. Some shops were also closed, and many people were carrying torches as they left the city or entered the city. Liu Wei An did not have much time to pay attention to this, and hurriedly left, followed by moonlight. He had been in the direction of the cemetery many times to avoid getting lost.
The farther away from the city, the fewer pedestrians there were. After walking for about 10 kilometers, there was no one left on the road. It was pitch black in the wilderness, with only trees showing the shadow of their eyes. The bugs were happily crying in the grass, but the occasional bird's scream was quite scary.
When he passed by a forest, Liu Wei An stopped and started to chop down trees. The forest was made of iron-colored poplar, and there were only about a hundred of them. Iron poplar wood, tough wood with elasticity, is the best material for making bows.
Ancient books have a cloud: the making of the bow to dry, horn, tendons, glue, silk, paint and other materials, also known as' six. The doer, who thinks far and wide, the horn, the disease, the sinews, the deep, the glue, the silk, the solid, the lacquer, and the frost.
Dry, including a variety of wood and bamboo; used to make the main body of a bow arm, multilayered. The performance of dry wood plays a decisive role in the performance of the bow. Dry wood with Zephyr as the top, secondary wood, oak trees, bamboo as the bottom. The horn, or animal horn, is made into a thin slice that is attached to the inside of the bow arm (abdomen). The best way to make a bow is to use a bull's horn. The horn is white, medium green, and undeveloped. The length of the horn is about five inches (nearly fifty centimeters), and the color of the bow is three colors. This is the best horn for a cow to wear a cow "(the price of a horn is the equivalent of a cow, so it is called a cow to wear a cow). The tendons, the animal tendons, lie on the outside (back) of the arcuate arm. The role of tendons and horns. Both of them increased the elasticity of the bow arm, allowing the arrow to shoot faster and deeper. Choosing tendons must be small and long, big and round and smooth. Glue, i.e., animal glue, used to bind dry materials and horny tendons. The book recommends six kinds of gum, such as deer gum, horse gum, beef gum, rat gum, fish gum, rhino gum and so on. The preparation method of glue "generally is to put animal skin and other animal tissue (especially muscle cavity) in the water boiling, or add a small amount of lime alkali, and then filter, steaming thick." According to the experience of later generation bow making, fish tissue, especially the palatine endothelium and fish fat were the best. In recent times, Chinese archers used fish glue to make an important part of the bow, that is, the bearing capacity of the bow. However, it was not very important to use the hide gum in other areas, such as covering the skin. Silk, that is, silk thread, will be the angle of the bow by the tendons of the silk threads tightly entwined, making it more solid. The colour and luster of the choice silk must be as bright as if it were in water. Paint, will be made of the bow arm paint, to prevent the erosion of dew moisture, and the need to choose paint color clear.
It would take a long time for him to make a good bow with complicated craftsmanship. Obviously, Liu Wei An didn't have that kind of time, so the bow he made was the simplest kind.

Unlike the first time, it took two whole days for the bow to be completed. Next was the arrow, a sharp arrow, and in terms of craftsmanship, it was not that simple. However, Liu Wei An needed a one-time arrow, so the requirements were not as strict.
However, although it was a one-time use, the materials couldn't be sloppy. Liu Wei An knew that bamboo wasn't bad, but since there weren't any in this area, he could only choose a wooden pole.
The hardness of iron poplar is enough, but the elasticity will affect the accuracy. Liu Wei An walked eastwards along the familiar road for about three miles. The lush forest seemed eerie. If he hadn't been here many times, he really wouldn't dare to come in here alone.
After carefully examining the tree for a moment, his eyes lit up. Taking a few steps forward, he drew his saber and hacked down five to six finger-sized saplings. He then picked up the sapling and ran. This black cloth in the middle of winter was too frightening. The startled bird flapped its wings as if it was right behind him. Liu Wei An didn't even turn back, only stopping when he reached the road. He took a few deep breaths and started to make arrows.

This was an iron birch tree. It was as hard as iron and as straight as a spear. It was difficult for it to grow big. If not for the sharpness of the dagger, it would have been difficult for it to cut them down. A small sapling could be cut into four arrows, exactly twenty-four of them. He would peel and polish them, remove all unnecessary things, and finally install the nail knife from the rotting corpse's hand. One arrow was already completed.

The arrowheads of the twenty arrows were carrion nails, the arrowheads of the first arrow were animal bones, and the rest of the arrows were nothing.

After the bow crafting was completed, the next step was to kill the monsters. Liu Wei An hesitated for a moment before he set off towards the cemetery. It was a dark night. To be honest, he was a bit scared when he went to the cemetery alone.

There were clearly more monsters in the dark night than during the day. They scurried around, including the leopard, lynx, dog, and wolf … Liu Wei'an didn't have the confidence to hit them, so he carefully avoided them one by one. About an hour and forty minutes later, they entered the cemetery. It was obvious that the moonlight in the sky was even darker and silent.
Because of the corpse aura, almost no living being liked to live inside it. Liu Wei An wasn't used to having no insects to call out, so he gritted his teeth and strode inside.

Resources were depleted, civil war broke out, and the earth was on the verge of destruction. After the order was re-established, there were still many contradictions between the two sides. A tranquil undercurrent was surging under the surface … A space ship carrying a felon was shot down by a pirate near Mars, the scapegoat Liu Wei An was lucky enough to escape. The little butterflies in the slave quarters stirred its wings, and the gears of history changed.


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Disclaimer: I do not own the novel or anything about it. They all belong to M O R I J U E Q I so please do support the original work.

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Dara, meanwhile, went to the plain, the river ended. In his backpack at the bottom lay a weighty jar of finds - coins, gold, silver, copper, brass. Buckles from soldier's belts, aluminum spoons, the remains of folding knives, podgoks, needles, nails, two effects from a saber, several buttons, two iron chains and other iron debris. A kilogram by 3. The total amount of finds has already exceeded the most conservative estimates for $ 25,000. Lucky. If he searched more carefully, he would probably be able to find more finds. But time was limited. Therefore, the Dara planned to return sometime later. In the meantime, see all the places that he outlined earlier.

Dara went to the plain ... he was surprised by the distance he traveled. He saw no one he knew.

The question is what to do? Go back or try to look for something in the steppe?

The first path is more secure, the second is more interesting.

Dara decided to choose the second path. He slashed forward, leading a coil in front of him. There were no signals. So Dara walked about 1 km. Steppe. Red poppies, green grass, purple erimuros stretching to the sky, 3-4 meters high. On the land of the inode, there were spools of lamb poop, and sometimes cow cakes. This is certainly not Idia, where it would be moeno to meet large poop of elephants in the rainforest, large such balls of 5-10 kg each. Like in Small An, peasants used to collect them and dry them, and in winter they were heated by dried turd of domestic animals of cows, buffalos or elephants.

In some places one could see mink gophers and cones of moles. Sometimes gnawed skeletons of turtles or individual heads of skeletons of small animals - dogs or jackals.

For snakes and spiders while the time was too cold they slept underground or under the rocks.

The steppe was uneven, in some places the remains of ancient irrigation canals were visible, the ruins of modern wintering for cattle. These were four coal-shaped rooms without roofs, one brick thick, of four walls, only two stuck out, and then they collapsed. A tree is highly regarded in the Kaki mountains steppe. Therefore, the ceilings and beams were all turned out and moved to a new place.

Sometimes there were large trampled spaces in a circle. The location of the nomads' yurts, which apparently lived here in the winter and in the beginning of spring, moved to other places.

A gift, for the sake of interest, walked there, there were squeaks at a frequency of 43. So, t, some kind of coin? But what is mono to find in the modern nomad camp? Only modern coins? And no! Since the nomads have not gone anywhere else abroad for the last 200 years, they wander along their old nomads, which have been them for 700 years. This means that there may be older coins.

Dara just heard a signal at a depth of 55 cm. Digging to a degree is not easy, serozem, it is chernozem. A shovel hardly enters hard ground. The fertile layer is only 15-20 cm, and then there is fine sand, rounded stones 1-2 cm in size, similar to pebbles but softer in composition. And then clay. The color of the soil is light brown, the deeper the darker.

Dara ran a metal detector and the signal disappeared, then when he got a subinter, he began poking them into the heap near the pit. And then came the long-awaited crack. It was not a coin, but a ring of golden color. Maybe gold, maybe copper? Squirting water from the spray gun Dara cleaned the find with his finger, it turned out to be a ring, though without a stone. Gold. Each treasure hunter is a little historian, a little archaeologist, a little local historian, a little antique. They should know how to distinguish different epochs of creating artifacts in form, drawing, technique of execution. Browse catalogs to know current prices for products where you can sell them. This is all the necessary knowledge in order to be a treasure hunter.

Each treasure hunter has its own arsenal - these are different types of coils and different types of metal detectors. They differ in characteristics and price. From a couple of hundred dollars to thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. There should be pointers, lights, ultrasonic cameras, shovels, and sometimes probes, if there is money, geophysical equipment or special scanners allowing you to look through walls or soil for 3-5 meters. This is all big money. Beginners can't afford it. Flasks for water, unloading, good backpacks, belts. Knives, weapons of self-defense. Injury or shockers. Anything happens when searching for treasures. Permits to carry traumas, permits to engage in treasure hunting, a license, a certificate of payment of taxes on income from the sale of artifacts found. Acts from the state organization for standards that the equipment has passed their expertise.

Plus good shoes and work clothes. Not to mention the palaces and o-bento, that is, food during work, dry rations, canned food, water, medicines, small burners to heat food.

The ring put on by him was apparently the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, the price for the voucher was about 1340 dollars, but it would already be necessary to specify more precisely on the auction website.

It is good that in order to attract tourists to Small Ahn, they allowed to export the treasures found if they are not of cultural value and sell through auctions.

And then some three years ago it was banned. As well as the export of foreign currency more than 1000 dollars. Poor foreigners, not knowing about it, exchanged dollars in their hands and then, without having official certificates from banks, they could not change back the local currency they received. So they had to take non-convertible currency to their countries. Since in world banks it was not possible to change the national currency of Small-An.

It was impossible to pay for a purchase through the Internet in an online store. There was a strict accounting of foreign currency, it was impossible to change the national currency to foreign.

But after the reforms started, in part it became possible. Thanks to this, the level of visiting tourists has increased from 450 thousand people to 12 million people.

True, the level of well-being from this is not very and rose from $ 980 a year per person to 1370! But GDP growth was more striking from $ 48 billion to $ 340 billion. However, Small-An, still had many inefficient state budget expenditures; he maintained a staff of old retirement officials who controlled the society but without much success. Nevertheless, about $ 1 billion was spent on their activities and maintenance, and another $ 3 billion was spent on the maintenance of their infrastructure - palaces of culture, special clinics, hospitals, rest homes, special workshops for the production of meat products and high-quality sweets. dollars. At the same time, only 32 million dollars continued to be allocated to science in Small-An.

Thanks to reforms, now the gift could more freely engage in treasure hunting.

To ensure safety and control of what was found, the tax inspectorate obliged treasure hunters to use body cameras that went to their personal office and were monitored by tax inspectors. On the one hand, this was done so that the treasure hunters would not conceal the finds, but on the other, to protect them from the robbers. Since the recording was carried out in real time. The camera had facial recognition functions, according to biometric data. And the data was stored in the north in a tax office.

So Dara was minimally protected.

...

After passing another 1 km of Dara, she found an interesting platform, it was 50 meters by 100. All trampled down with tire marks on five sides. What could it be?

COMPLETED

A small story about adventurers, local history enthusiasts, treasure hunters. They wander around cities, forests, mountains, steppes and deserts, seek metal artifacts and search magnets for historical artifacts and sell some of them at auctions, donate some to museums and keep some in their home collections. They work in archives and funds, second-hand bookkeepers do not forget, they look for old books, road workers and topographic maps of the 17-20 centuries.

There is the only main character Fang and his partner Dara.

---
English is the same as in other novels. While it is far from good. The approximate number of chapters is from 60 to 100. Updates 3 chapters per week. The number of words is from 600 to more 1200.

COMPLETED

--------------------------------------------------
This is a work of art. Any resemblance to real people or real events is purely coincidental.

Tianjing City, Mingxin Network.
Liu Mingxin stared at the data shown on the computer screen and took in a deep breath.
Spiritual Sword, the popularity of this game had exceeded his predictions. Initially, he already had a good enough review of Spiritual Sword, and moreover, he'd predicted that the popularity of Spiritual Sword's open beta testing would be as high as 200,000 players online at the same time. Unfortunately, he'd still underestimated the results of the other party.
400,000 players online at the same time.
This data could be said to have far exceeded the results of Draconic Continent's 180,000 people online at the same time back then during its open beta testing. According to the usual trend of increase in popularity, at the moment, Draconic Continent had 300,000 people online at the same time. And now, this Spiritual Sword would very possibly be able to break past 700,000 players online at the same time in the future!
700,000!
This popularity was already sufficient to be terrifying! After all, many online games could advertise with all their might, and at most, 100,000 players or so online at the same time could already be considered as explosive popular, much less 700,000!
"This is not going to be easy to deal with." Liu Mingxin mumbled, "Very soon, this Spiritual Sword will officially enter the competition on the online gaming ranking charts. Currently, in the online gaming business, only my Draconic Continent's 300,000 players online at the same time can place some pressure on it. As for the other online games… they're still lacking."
Only Draconic Continent could more or less fight against Spiritual Sword!
What Liu Mingxin was worried about, apart from Draconic Continent, was still something else!
Dream Dota League!
He'd placed quite high hopes onto this competitive game that Hong Dali had designed. He also believed that once this game was launched, it would definitely be extremely popular. But now, Liu Mingxin already didn't have such confidence.
Because this Spiritual Sword was just too attractive to players.
Currently, on the forum of the largest online gaming publishing platform in Heavenly State, Play Together website, the number of daily posts on Spiritual Sword had already exceeded 200,000. However, the Dream Dota League's special zone that Liu Mingxin had rushed to open up had only a little more than 10,000 daily posts.
After all, in the face of Spiritual Sword's advertising attack, Liu Mingxin had exerted almost the same power.
Making the most eye-catching advertisement on various websites, making the best website, activating all the resources to do advertising. Unfortunately, because Spiritual Sword was in the lead, the reception was mediocre.
"I'll hang in there for two more days, and if it really can't work out…" Liu Mingxin took in a deep breath. "I'll have to ask Young Master Dali for a few good ideas."
…
Tianjing City, southern city area, in the Qian Family's secret villa.
"Mr. Shi, currently, the number of people online at the same time has already broken past the 400,000 mark!" Qian Youjin smilingly reported to Shiroishi Kazuma. This Shiroishi Kazuma really lived up to his name as Toyoda Conglomerate's chief consultant. He was indeed capable. After such a short period of advertising, it could reach such popularity… this was truly unbelievable.
"Actually, there are many things in this world that aren't as difficult as we think they are." Shiroishi Kazuma insipidly said, "Simple, straight to the point, these are more often than not the most effective methods. Remember, you must be careful and low-profile in everything you do. Before success is achieved, don't do anything rash, just manage the online gaming well."
"Okay, I got it."
…
Liu Mingxin was troubled and worried, Shiroishi Kazuma was plotting in secret, and Hong Dali's side, in the meantime, was working hard in order to better enjoy life.
Chenhui Building, in the Photon Force Laboratory on the fourth floor.
Hong Dali looked at Lin Chuyin seated in the front as he asked, "Chuyin, um, the weather is too hot. Why don't we make artificial rainfall, what do you think?"
Tang Muxin took in a deep breath as well. She really didn't know how to deal with this Hong Dali. Just because the weather was hot, he wanted artificial rainfall. It's not that I don't understand, it's just that this world is changing too fast!
"Mm." Lin Chuyin thought for a while, then nodded and said, "Theoretically, it should be possible. But at the moment, the materials are insufficient."
"Ah, it really can be done!" Hong Dali stared with wide eyes and anxiously asked, "What things do you need, I'll get people to prepare them right away!"
"Oh, actually, it's not hard to do cloud seeding." Upon mention of things related to technology, Lin Chuyin had a topic to talk about again. "Clouds are formed through the condensation of water vapor. And the thickness, as well as height of clouds, are usually determined by the amount of water vapor content in the clouds, the amount of condensation, as well as the temperature. So, normally speaking, the state of the water vapor's cohesive force in the clouds is more stable and is not easy to result in the falling of water. On the other hand, cloud seeding is to destroy this type of stable state of cohesiveness." 
"Mmmm," Hong Dali fiercely nodded by the side. "Actually, it's not necessary to make rainfall. It'll do to just create cloudy weather. Do you think this is possible?" 
In fact, because the weather was too hot, Hong Dali's initial goal was to create cloudy weather. As long as the clouds could cover the sun, it would cool very soon—what he thought was just this simple…
Of course, his idea was simple, and it wasn't very difficult to do it in reality, but the difficult thing was the investment.
Fortunately, currently, this superprodigal Hong Dali had nothing more than money. His pocket money was now in terms of hundreds of millions. Thus, he increasingly had less and less concept regarding numbers…
"Hm, cloudy weather," Lin Chuyin lowered her head and thought for a while, then she slowly said, "We only need to use dry ice to create cloudy weather. Due to the very low temperature of dry ice, after sublimation, when the low-temperature carbon dioxide comes into contact with the air, it can make the water vapor in the air condense into small water droplets, causing white smoke to appear. During stage performances, they often use dry ice to create special effects of fog and so on. If we're making cloudy weather, we only need to use large amounts of dry ice and send them to the skies. It can be done within a short period of time." 
Tang Muxin was dumbfounded. This, this, Hong Dali isn't planning to do this, right?
However, Tang Muxin knew that her worry was unnecessary—Hong Dali would definitely do it!
Hong Dali said, "Then it's settled! I'll go and get dry ice!"
"Dali!" Tang Muxin fiercely said, "Do you believe I'll break your legs!"
"I don't believe it, my Xinxin won't be so unreasonable," said Hong Dali matter-of-factly. "It's settled then. Xiaoyi, um, quickly help me buy dry ice. I want large amounts, large amounts!"
Ling Xiaoyi: "…"
Alright, looks like this time Young Master really wants to make clouds to relieve the heat…
"Young Master," Ling Xiaoyi cautiously asked, "It's fine to buy dry ice, but the problem is, how can we transport the dry ice up to the skies?"
"Aye? I'd really not thought of this." Hong Dali thought for a while, then very soon, he ferociously slapped his thigh. "Contact the toy factory and ask them to make more large-scale toy planes. By then, we'll make a wireless electric switch—when the plane brings the dry ice up to the sky, we can press the switch to open the cover, wouldn't that be fine?"
Ling Xiaoyi's tears trailed down her face…
Initially, she'd wanted to relieve Hong Dali of this idea, but now it seemed that there was obviously going to be more squandering…
Thus, everyone instantly started to busy themselves.
Ling Xiaoyi was in charge of contacting the factories which manufactured dry ice, Tang Muxin was in charge of contacting the toy factory, while Hong Dali was in charge of the overall situation. He extremely decisively sat beside Lin Chuyin, grinned and asked, "Chuyin, why don't we make a small device? The type that would open the cover once the button is pressed?"
Lin Chuyin all along would not reject Hong Dali's request. Thus, she instantly nodded and said, "OK."
The two of them started at once.
This type of simple device was not difficult to make. Very soon, it was done. Hong Dali finally recalled some serious business. "Chuyin, how's the research on the endoskeleton armor? The one that can allow Little Meow's front paws to return to normal?"
"Mm, progress has currently reached 82%. Not long later, it can be tried on." Lin Chuyin slowly said, "The technical aspects have been solved. It just needs a few more minor details to be completed."
"En en, not bad, not bad," Hong Dali was very satisfied. "Then, then how's the technology of the voice control accuracy? That's very important! In the future, we'll depend on that to manufacture robot nannies and so on!"
"The technology of the voice control accuracy currently has progressed to 46%, and it still needs around two months or so." Lin Chuyin was very familiar with the current research projects, and she had a very good memory of them all. "The prospects of this technology are indeed very big. Currently, apart from conducting experiments on this technology, I'm also studying into the design of the exact merging of it." 
"Really?!" Hong Dali was instantly excited. "At the moment, what have you developed?"
"Mm, the voice control housekeeper system." Lin Chuyin insipidly said, "This is the main aspect of what I'm currently researching on. If this system is successfully developed, the room would be akin to a robot housekeeper."
After that, the little lass added, "In this case, my room would become neater and cleaner."
Lin Chuyin was totally unconcerned as she said that, but Hong Dali was really excited after he heard that!
Robot housekeeper! Awesome, isn't it! Very exciting, isn't it!
"This is good, this is good!" Hong Dali fiercely nodded. "Then, in the future, let's develop this. And by then, we'll install all these at our sci-fi town! Wahahaha! Now there's finally some feeling of a sci-fi town!"
As he spoke, Ling Xiaoyi came back. Once she entered, she smiled and said, "Young Master, I've liaised with the dry ice manufacturing factory and requested for them to manufacture dry ice in full force. I believe that very soon, there will be sufficient dry ice produced for you to use."
That was artificial cloudy weather. This time, that dry ice factory would probably be happy to death…
"Mm, not bad!" Hong Dali was forever very satisfied with Ling Xiaoyi's speed of working. "After the dry ice has arrived and the planes have been made and placed in position, by then, we'll do it once every day, heh heh. In the future, wherever we go, this cloudy weather will follow. It's awesome just by thinking about it!"
A short while later, Tang Muxin returned as well. Once she entered, she pouted. "Dali, I've contacted the toy factory. 300 remote control airplanes will be delivered three days later. They all have diameters of one meter, it's definitely enough to bring the dry ice up to the sky." As she spoke up to this point, she was still rather unconvinced. "Dali, can you squander less? Cloud seeding is very expensive!"
Hong Dali resolutely shook his head. "I can't!"


"I have to squander; otherwise, won't it be a waste of my parent's talent at earning money?" Hong Dali answers a reporter's question matter-of-factly. 

Just after the interview ends, Hong Dali opens the Great Prodigal System's interface and looks at the various good stuff displayed in it. Stroking his chin, he mumbles to himself, "I just need to squander 200 billion yuan more to exchange for the blueprint of the core technology, Engine Destruction, found in the strongest humanoid mecha weapon, Neo Granzon. Looks like I'll have to work harder!"

"I want to splurge! I want to squander!"


What is being benevolent and righteous? To sacrifice life for the truth and for righteousness. 
Song Jiang and Liu Huangshu both weren’t the most talented people; however, they finally reached exceptional achievements because they were benevolent to others and did righteous things. The stories in Outlaws of the Marsh and Romance of the Three Kingdoms may not be true, but they are great representations of how much ancient Chinese value benevolence and righteousness. 
In the Chinese culture, piety ranks on top of all virtues. It might be difficult for some people to serve the country and at the same time take care of their aging parents. However, when it comes to treating friends, benevolence and righteousness are beyond everything.  
The government always promotes benevolence while normal people value righteousness. For some reason, in China the pursuit of righteousness was always related to the pursuit of political power so it was not favored by the government. 
A cat called the benevolent and righteous cat had to be somebody. 
This is the third Elfin cat he had ever seen and the first time he could recognize the breed. Schrodinger’s quantum cat – Xinghai, was a pure spiritual Elfin that didn’t belong to any breed. The golden cat belonged to Cleopatra VII – Fina, was an ancient Egyptian cat from 2000 years ago. A normal person had never seen such a breed he didn’t recognize. 
Zhang Zian confirmed her breed at first glance – she was truly a black stripe Chinese Dragon-Li, a perfect match to her super Chinese style name - the benevolent and righteous cat.   
It was funny that she was wearing a grey vest and a bamboo hat. 
Since she was wearing a bamboo hat, Zhang Zian could not see her face nor could he take a high definition picture of her. 
She was laying by the fireplace with her hands tucked under her chest. With her head bowing down, she looked like she was getting warm or taking a nap. 
Zhang Zian walked closer to take a look. 
It was an older cat, at least 10 years old. Its hair was thin and already lost its shininess. Some muscles on her chest and belly were already sagging. 
Cat’s average life expectancy is about 14 years. House cats, slim cats, and neutered cats generally live longer. A 10-year old cat is quite old. 
She seemed extremely relaxed. If someone approached to take off her hat, she might be captured easily. 
Zhang Zian was about to do so. Suddenly a game tip came up – it is highly risky to forcibly capture this pet. 
Does it count as forcible capture if I took off her bamboo hat? Zhang Zian wasn’t sure. When the cat’s name came to his mind and thinking that some people would die for benevolence and righteousness, he felt a bit scared to approach the cat…
Snowy talked to him, "Mr. Manager, please come sit by me! Waitress, I’d like to order!"
The female owner and the waitress both looked at him with questions. They weren’t sure about the relationship between Zhang Zian and Snowy.
The waitress came over with a menu and asked, "What would you like to order?"
Jiang Qianxue looked over the menu and took a picture with her cell phone. 
The broadcast room exploded immediately. 
"What the f*ck?! The least expensive item, jasmine tea and rose tea are 388 Yuan a pot?!"
"The least expensive tea and dessert set is 588 Yuan."
"Red robe tea is 988 Yuan. Bi Luo Chun tea is 888 Yuan!"
"Tie Guan Yin is 1288 Yuan. Top graded Tie Guan Yin is 1888 Yuan!" 
"I would only pay for that if the teapot is as big as a water tank…"
"Oh no! I couldn’t even afford to drink tea!"
"What’s so special about that tea?"
[Chuyu Rongzhi] Tipped two crabs and left a message, "Snowy, this is your tea money."
[Zhanshi Ouren] Tipped one crab and left a message, "Snowy, I will buy you a tea on behalf of all on-duty policemen."
[Binhai Tuzhu] Tipped five bear paws and left a message, "Snowy, you have to go for the best tea."
"Holy Sh*t! here comes a tycoon!"
"On-duty policemen? Is it real?"
"Does the tycoon need a friend? I volunteer to be one."
[Binhai Tuzhu] said, "I am not a tycoon, just a local."
Snowy pointed at the menu and told the waitress, "a top graded Tie Guan Yin and dessert set, please."
"Okay. 2888 Yuan. Please pay now. We accept cash, credit card and online transfer," the waitress nodded. 
Jiang Qianxue transferred 2888 Yuan.
"It will be ready in a minute," after saying to Snowy, the waitress then yelled to the back of the teahouse, "new order! One top graded Tie Guan Yin and dessert set."
"Sure!" the female owner responded. 
The waitress then walked to the back. It looked like she was also the chef. 
The owner grabbed two bottles of Fiji water, quickly poured them all to the silver color tea kettle. 
Someone spoke in the broadcast room.
[Art of Tea] said, "kettle and water are two key components for making good tea. The kettles on the counters are silver, copper, iron and ceramic kettles. A specific kettle is used for a particular tea and customer."
"Wow, there is an expert here!"
"Watch live show and learn something. Great!"
"Question to expert: what are the differences between various kettles? I can act like an expert next time."
[Art of Tea] said, "I am not so much an expert. The history of tea is long. I only know some of it. In short, iron kettles improve the texture and silver kettles increase the aroma. Iron kettles are best for deeply fermented tea such as black tea and Pu Er tea. Silver kettles can kill bacteria and soften water. They are great for lightly fermented tea such as Tie Guan Yin and green tea. Those tea kettles look fantastic. They look like the old handcrafted kettles from Fusang Workshop. I don’t use copper kettles so I don’t want to comment. Theoretically, they should be quite similar to iron kettles. Ceramic kettles are the best mate to iced berg water… however, I didn’t use a ceramic kettle because I was worried about getting a fake one that might be poisonous. The ceramic kettle in that high-end teahouse had to be a good one. I am guessing they would match it with Kunlun Mountain spring water and Diannan roast tea."
"Bravo! You are so knowledgeable!"
"With that said, considering the energy added to the water from carrying it up to the top of the mountain, 388 Yuan isn’t too bad for a pot of tea…I still couldn’t afford it."
"Here we go! A straight-A student!"
"Oh no! This teahouse is way out of my reach. I rather use the old kettle at home and save some money…"
"I thought that Mr. Manager charging 300 Yuan for self-service cat bathing was expensive enough. This teahouse is even more expensive than I would’ve imagined."
Some viewer suggested, "Snowy, have Mr. Manager look at the mane. Don’t forget to point your camera at him. Can’t wait to see his reactions!"
"Haha! You are so nasty but I like it!"
"Haha! I agree! Let’s see how he pretend to be rich this time."
"From my experience, I bet he would order the least expensive item – jasmine tea."
[Binhai Tuzhu] normally only commented when he tipped. This time, he also agreed with the crowd, "Yeah! I also want to see what he will do this time…"
The crowd was extremely excited about playing a trick on Zhang Zian so Snowy followed the flow and asked, "Mr. Manager, what would you like to order? Here is the menu."
Zhang Zian put his whole focus on how to capture the benevolent and righteous cat. He didn’t realize Snowy was talking to him after a while.
The waitress brought out a beautiful tray of desserts and dry fruit. She asked after putting down the tray, "Hi sir, what would you like to order?"
Everyone in the broadcast room was ready to see Zhang Zian’s reaction, including Jiang Tianda, who was the CEO of Jiang’s Group, who was waiting to see how Zhang Zian would make a fool out of himself. 
Zhang Zian took a quick look at the menu and said peacefully, "An ice water, please."


1. Download a suspicious game
2. Catch a few magical pets as partners
3. Go through interesting daily routines and lead the pet shop to a whole new level

Roland had lived in Red Mountain Town for more than a month, but he hadn't triggered any quests yet. However, Betta had triggered one so quickly.
It did make sense on second thought. Roland was incapable of Language Proficiency, and quests required communication, unlike other games where there were gold exclamation marks above the NPCs to inform the players of acceptable quests.
How could he trigger a quest when he could barely talk?
Therefore… He had to learn Language Proficiency as soon as possible.
"All right, let's team up. You can share the quest with me."
Both of them were seasoned players. They soon set up a team on the system menu, and then Betta shared the quest.
"Search for the missing grandchildren of an old man."
The title of the quest was green, followed by "Excellent."
Noticing Roland's confusion, Betta explained, "I've accepted white quests before, but the rewards were quite unattractive. I got only a common iron longsword once."
Betta took out a rusted longsword from his Backpack and waved it. "This is the one."
"Did you get your clothes and your weapon through quests?" asked Roland curiously.
Betta nodded and asked back, "Didn't you get your magic robe in the same way?"
Roland shook his head. "No, it's a gift from an old man."
Betta clapped his hands and said, "It seems that intimacy plays a role in this game."
Although Betta had just graduated from high school, it was obvious that he was quite smart. He made the deduction quickly.
Roland thought for a while and said, "Yes, but I have to remind you that you must not treat the NPCs in this game as the NPCs in the sandbox games we played. They are quite intelligent."
Betta nodded and said casually, "I know. The AI of Penguin Corporation is almost lifelike."
"They feel like real persons to me," Roland said and frowned.
"Hahaha." Betta laughed. "You're overthinking, Brother Roland. This game is controlled by AI. They're just data."
Roland sighed and said, "I studied the application of intelligent programs when I was in college, or to put it more simply, I worked on AI. As far as I know, it requires tremendous work to establish such an enormous world and make every NPC as vivid as a real person. I don't think anyone can achieve that."
"But this game has achieved it." Obviously a consequentialist, Betta shrugged and said, "So… a genius must've made breakthroughs."
Roland said with a bitter smile, "That's the only explanation."
"All right, Brother Roland, should we get started?" Betta looked at him hopefully.
They were standing before Roland's cottage. Roland pointed at the foot of the mountain. Because of the fair today, there were many more people in Red Mountain Town.
The streets were jam-packed with peddlers and customers.
The noises of the crowd came from down below and sounded like some sort of rising tide.
"Do you not want to enjoy the carnival?" Roland asked, finding it odd. "Such fairs must be new to you, right? Your generation has grown up with online shopping."
Betta shrugged. "I'm not interested at all. I just want to level up, challenge the more intriguing quests, and see more monsters and landscapes."
So, the young man was more of an adventurer?
Roland stood up and said, "All right, let's go."
They left Red Mountain Town by the crowded bridge. According to the quest, the child declared that he would travel the world as a mercenary before he moved west with a sword.
West…
Roland vaguely recalled that Falken mentioned that a bunch of trolls were hiding in the forest dozens of kilometers to the west. The trolls were good at fighting, and there were few capable hunters around, so they were never eliminated.
Thinking about that, Roland mumbled, "Was this silly child trying to conquer the trolls? He can't be so idiotic, can he?"
Betta said, "It's just a setting. There's no need to consider if it's reasonable. It's only a way to level up."
But Roland still felt that something was wrong.
Instructed by the quest system, Roland and Betta found the trolls in the evening after walking for a whole day.
The place was rather creepy with the bone totems.
A dozen green-skinned trolls were sitting around a fire. The stone pot on the fire seemed to be cooking the limbs of a human.
There were thirteen trolls in total, ranging between LV1 and LV2. No wonder they were a threat to the passersby.
Crouching, Roland asked, "Should we make a battle plan?"
"That's unnecessary. I've killed plenty of such trolls. Watch my back for me, Brother Roland." Betta stood up and charged forth.
Betta was not wrong. Killing those trolls was a piece of cake for him.
He was fast and strong. More surprisingly, he could even use magic in the middle of the battle.
He broke into the trolls' lair like a tiger breaking into a pen of lambs. Half of the trolls were killed within three minutes, and the other half were slaughtered by Roland's Inferior Fireball and Hand of Magic.
Blood was all over the ground.
Betta wiped off the blood on his face. With the system's help, he found the highlighted target, which was a dry skull on a weird totem.
"Here's our quest objective." Betta smiled and moved the skull off from the totem.
"Don't you find it disgusting?" Roland asked, frowning.
Betta played with the skull in his hand, not entirely bothered. He said, "They are nothing more than data. Keep an open mind.
"All right, Brother Roland. Let's go back and accomplish this quest."
Roland looked at the bone totems nearby. They were all the remains of human beings that had been eaten. Some were still being cooked in the pots. Thinking for a moment, he said, "Why don't you go back first? I'll bury those bones first."
Betta looked at him in surprise. "Brother Roland, everything here is data. You're too obsessed."
Roland paused for a moment and said, "Just consider me a willful man."
Betta sighed and said, "All right, I'll be waiting for you in the town."
After that, he returned by himself.


As one of the first players to gain access to World of Falan—the first immersive game worldwide—Roland creates his character as a Mage. 
However, playing as a Mage is not as fun and easy as he thought. His head even explodes after he casts the very first spell in the game. 
Stubbornly sticking to his class when most Mages decide to create a new character, Roland gradually discovers tricks of the trade and his unusual talent. This allows him to change people's stereotypes on Mages and to explore the deeply-buried secrets of this game…

It wasn't only Fairy Lychee, the other seniors who were online also went and comforted Song Shuhang.
Fairy Dongfang Six: "There, there, little friend Shuhang, don't cry. I thought that no duel had occurred between you and Sage Monarch Winter Melon since you were online and seemed alright. It's my mistake, I shouldn't have even brought up this topic. I acknowledge my mistake."
Young Master Phoenix Slayer: "Don't be heart-broken, Shuhang. You're still young, and it isn't shameful to lose to someone at the Eight Stage while you're still at the Fourth Stage Realm. Besides, you've only been cultivating for slightly more than four months. At this rate, you might really be able to reach the Eighth Stage at some point. At that time, you can go back and beat Sage Monarch Winter Melon black and blue. Your youth is your biggest capital, you can do it!"
True Monarch Northern River: "For us cultivators, vanity is something useless. Furthermore... this event could contribute to tempering your mind. If things really go according to the reverse of Copper Trigram's shady divination, the news of the defeat of the first Sage in a thousand years should spread all over the universe tomorrow; you can simply regard this event as something to further temper your will."
For a while, the 'Nine Provinces Number One Group' became the 'Nine Provinces Chicken Soup For The Soul Group'.
All kinds of chicken soup for the soul that could overwhelm one with a warm feeling inside blew in Shuhang's face. After all, Song Shuhang had only been cultivating for a short time, so the seniors in the group were concerned that his mind would be greatly affected.
Inside the Inner World.
Song Shuhang raised his head to look towards the sky as he said, "Heavens."
Su Clan's Sixteen covered her mouth as she chuckled softly.
❄️❄️❄️
While the seniors of the 'Nine Provinces Chicken Soup For The Soul Group' were busy thinking of how to comfort Song Shuhang, a message that was completely inconsistent with the rest popped up.
Fairy Heavenly Sound [Soft Feather]: "Senior Song, weren't you holding a 'sword'? How did you end up breaking Sage Monarch Winter Melon's defense with a 'saber strike'?"
Soft Feather was asking this question very seriously. She had just recovered from being muted when she saw Song Shuhang's topic, so she happily asked this question.
In addition, her personal information note read, [September 4, 2019, dissatisfied. September 5, 6, and 7, missing.]
"Well, at least someone believes you," Su Clan's Sixteen said with a smile. 
Song Shuhang: "..."
Just now, he was still thinking of changing his nickname in the group to [Song 'Super Awesome' Shuhang], but now he was too embarrassed to change it.
Fortunately, Soft Feather gave him a way out. Song Shuhang immediately took that opportunity and began explaining what had happened.
Tyrannical Song: "Actually, here's what happened. Early this morning, I took Lady Onion back to her birthplace to dig for treasures. Then, along the way, I experienced various kinds of events. The video that Sixteen had sent a while ago was one of the 'various kinds of events' that took place tonight. After dealing with all of those events, a powerful teammate ended up temporarily joining my small party."
Fairy Lychee: "Explain properly!"
Tyrannical Song: "To sum it all up, before I encountered Sage Monarch Winter Melon, I encountered a very awesome treasured sword. The sword is called 'Scarlet Heaven Sword', and it's the weapon of the powerhouse that imparted the ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ to me. As long as Fellow Daoist Scarlet Heaven Sword is willing to cooperate with me, I can transcend my limits and slash out a powerful ❮ Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯. This was how I ended up winning when I encountered Sage Monarch Winter Melon earlier."
Fairy Heavenly Sound [Soft Feather]: "Isn't Scarlet Heaven Sword a 'sword'? So how could it slash out the ❮Heaven Burning Flaming 'Saber' Technique❯?" 
"It doesn't stop there, because Fellow Daoist Scarlet Heaven Sword also mastered its own saber intent. To be honest, if it weren't for it being Daoist Priest Scarlet Heaven's weapon already, I would really have taken a liking to it," Song Shuhang said, filled with emotion.
A sword that could be used as a saber, how cool.
Fairy Heavenly Sound [Soft Feather]: "Awesome, I really want to see this sword that mastered its own saber intent."
Venerable Spirit Butterfly: "Wait until you consolidate your realm first."
Venerable Spirit Butterfly came online and showed his presence. After all, he was preparing to transcend his tribulation and charge towards the Eighth Stage Realm before the end of the month. During this period of time, he had to show his presence as much as possible.
"I know, father," Fairy Heavenly Sound [Soft Feather] said while giggling.
Fairy Lychee: "Ah... so, little friend Shuhang, you really cut down Sage Monarch Winter Melon in one fell swoop?"
Song Shuhang replied, "Yeah. If nothing goes wrong... it will definitely be the top news on the Daily Cultivator tomorrow." 
"You really beat up Sage Monarch Winter Melon?" Northern River's Loose Cultivator still couldn't come to his senses.
Song Shuhang: "Nothing of that sort, everything was decided in a single move. I used Scarlet Heaven Sword and successfully shocked Sage Monarch Winter Melon."
True Monarch Fallout asked, "Can you use that borrowed saber technique repeatedly?" 
Song Shuhang: "It can't be used repeatedly within a short period of time. The time Fellow Daoist Scarlet Heaven Sword needs to recover and the limits of my physical body have to be taken into consideration."
Fairy Dongfang Six: "If little friend Song Shuhang really won... Then, tomorrow, the reporters of the various cultivation channels will definitely spread this news to the entire world of cultivation. Is it really going to go as how Immortal Master Copper Trigram had divined?"
Northern River's Loose Cultivator swiftly said, "Does this mean that the shady divination wasn't actually shady? This is unscientific!"
Island Master Tian Tiankong: "I have a guess. Could it be that Fellow Daoist Copper Trigram told us the opposite of the results of his divination?"
Vice-Island Master Tian Tianwei: "As long as his divinations are interpreted in reverse, Fellow Daoist Copper Trigram's predictions are terrifyingly accurate."
"That's impossible. Even if the entire world were to burn, Copper Trigram wouldn't say the reverse of his own divination," Northern River's Loose Cultivator said resolutely. Although he and Copper Trigram were sworn enemies in the group, he was the one that knew his character the best.
Sun Splitting Halberd Guo Da said, "There is still another possibility. Don't you all remember? At that time, it was Immortal Fortune Teller Iron Trigram's account that went online. Could it be that it was Iron Trigram that did the divination?" 
When Guo Da spoke, the entire group suddenly went quiet once again.
After a few seconds.
True Monarch Northern River: "WTF, Guo Da, why didn't you send those dog pictures when you showed up? I subconsciously stopped chatting to wait for you to send that picture of a dog being rubbed before talking again."
Sun Splitting Halberd Guo Da: "..."
There are occasionally two or three days every month when I don't want to make a fool out of myself, alright?
At this time, Immortal Fortune Teller Iron Trigram went online, and said, "It wasn't me."
Song Shuhang received the system prompt that Iron Trigram went online.
Immortal Fortune Teller Iron Trigram rarely popped up in the group—perhaps it was because his teacher, Immortal Master Copper Trigram, had too strong of a presence and had too many enemies, causing him to keep as low a profile as possible.
Over time, his account would sometimes become his teacher's smurf. After getting banned, he would sometimes log on to his account to go online.
Island Master Tian Tiankong: "So it wasn't Iron Trigram's divination... Then it was really Copper Trigram's divination. This time, Copper Trigram was actually right... Is the world going to end soon?" 
Vice-Island Master Tian Tianwei: "If that's the case, little friend Song Shuhang, from now onwards, you've become the terminator of Copper Trigram's shady divinations, super awesome!" 
Song Shuhang saw this and felt great joy well up within him.
After chatting for so long, there was finally a senior who got the point.
Su Clan's Sixteen looked at the contents of the chat in the group and smiled.
Honestly speaking, Song Shuhang seemed to be even happier now than after he defeated Sage Monarch Winter Melon in that 'one move to decide everything' duel.
Obviously, Song Shuhang was more content with becoming the 'terminator of Copper Trigram's shady divinations' than 'settling things with Sage Monarch Winter Melon'.
Inside the Nine Provinces Number One Group.
"If that shady fortune teller suddenly no longer does shady divinations, is there still something that sets him apart from others?" Northern River's Loose Cultivator said with indescribable sorrow. 
Fairy Lychee immediately replied, "There is. Remember his countless transformations? He can be a man or a woman, and transform into anyone he wants."
Northern River's Loose Cultivator: "With his countless transformations, he can indeed be whoever he chooses to be... but if you carefully think about it, you will find that he does not have his own characteristics. Everything about him, including his character, personality, voice, appearance, and even gender, can all be false. In the past, we could still distinguish Copper Trigram using his shady divinations. If he loses the attribute of 'shady fortune teller', then Copper Trigram will definitely become the most bland and presenceless person in the group." 
When the Bright Moon Appears: "..."
Scholar Drunken XXX popped up with force, angrily showing his presence, as if he wanted to prove something.
Fairy Lychee said, "Unfortunately, Fellow Daoist Copper Trigram Taoist isn't online. If he was online, we could directly ask him what's the deal with his divination." 
While Fairy Lychee was talking, a group member who had not been online for quite a while had come out.
"F*CK!" As soon as Scholar Xian Gong appeared, he sent a gigantic 'F*CK'.
Since the demodragon medicine refinement and ❮Apocalypse War❯'s shooting, Scholar Xian Gong quietly found a place to strengthen his physique and transcend his tribulation.
Due to the trauma he suffered after getting bombed by nuclear weapons when he was closing up before, Scholar Xian Gong had specifically chosen to transcend his tribulation at a 'nuclear-free zone' this time—it was unknown if there really weren't any nuclear weapons, but he would at least try to invite some good luck.
Scholar Xian Gong had considered transcending his tribulation in space, but after much consideration, he still decided to have it on Earth, where he had more control.
Everything was prepared, so when his physique reached a satisfactory level, Scholar Xian Gong began to transcend the heavenly tribulation of the Seventh Stage. This heavenly tribulation came at him menacingly.
Seven days and seven nights had already passed since he started transcending the tribulation.
Frice Reckless Mad Saber: "Senior Xian Gong, have you finished transcending your tribulation?"
"I didn't expect to get a signal at this time. Perhaps it's just so that I say a few last words... I may die soon, and there might not be much time left for me," Scholar Xian Gong said using the voice function. "I've already spent seven days and seven nights transcending this heavenly tribulation, and it is getting weirder and weirder. Three or four days ago, the heavenly tribulation had changed into various weapons. Now, there's even something that appears to be a nuclear bomb that has begun forming."
Suddenly, the entire 'Nine Provinces Number One Group' went quiet once again.
Everyone knew that there was a deep wound in Scholar Xian Gong's heart left there by the traumatic nuclear bomb incident. There was a time when whenever someone mentioned the word 'nuclear bomb' with him around, he would suddenly become very anxious.
Now, at the last juncture of Scholar Xian Gong's tribulation, a 'nuclear bomb' had actually appeared?
Shouldn't the 'nuclear bomb' be something that only appeared in the heavenly tribulation of the Eighth Stage? Why would it appear when Scholar Xian Gong was ascending to the Seventh Stage?
Could it be that Scholar Xian Gong's life really had some fate with 'nuclear objects'?
Scholar Xian Gong seized the moment to say his last few words. "I've no idea what has happened to the heavenly tribulation, but everyone should take note of the modernization of the heavenly tribulation when transcending."


One day, Song Shuhang was suddenly added to a chat group with many seniors that suffered from chuuni disease. The people inside the group would call each other ‘Fellow Daoist’ and had all different kinds of titles: Palace Master, Cave Lord, True Monarch, Immortal Master, etc. Even the pet of the founder of the group that had run away from home was called ‘monster dog’. They would talk all day about pill refining, exploring ancient ruins, or share their experience on techniques.
However, after lurking inside the group for a while, he discovered that not all was what it seemed... 

The scene in front of him took Samuel aback, causing him to stare idly at the forge in shock. "Now, now, Sir Thornberry, we mustn't get ahead of ourselves, should we? I'm feeling quite ill and we don't have anything to forge right now, do we? And..." Samuel rapidly fired off excuses one after another like a machinegun using lies as ammunition.

" Don't even think you can escape this lesson! Clumsy birds take need of early flight lest they get comfortable in their lazy ways. It's clear you mustn't be as desperate as I thought... Maybe I should just give up on you. After all, there are hundreds of other residents in this town who would sell their soul to the Devil to be my apprentice." A slight frown appeared on Yorn's face as he performed this act.

Although Samuel knew this was all a ploy to get him to be more resolved in his teachings, he couldn't;t take the teacher's words lightly or else he may be thrown out onto the street to tell his prideful father of his disdainful performance in the trial. That was one thing he would swear not to do in this lifetime. He had failed to see the importance of his parents in his first life and he failed to save his parents in his second life. It was all up to this third and possibly final lifetime to atone for his sinful actions and pay back the debt he owed tenfold. 

Lightly sighing, Samuel knew that this was inevitable for progression and, since the system hadn't notified him of the quest's completion, he had yet to be fully accepted by his new teacher. He approached the billowing flames of the scorching forge, eyeing the nearby tools. Being an introvert in his first lifetime, he, of course, approached the topic of smithing through videos online and was almost a backseat driver when it came to criticising the works of professionals.

Despite this advantage of slight knowledge, he could still feel a pricking at his spine, surges of icy winds enveloping him as he doubted his own chances of success.

"The more I sit around idling, the less I'll progress. If I want to make a difference in this lifetime, I mustn't adapt to my procrastinative past. With this step, I'll shed my past self and forge myself a new future!" A golden flame flickered in Samuel's eyes as his resolve soared through the skies, piercing the Heavens.

He strode towards the forge, holding a large ingot of pure iron. However, before he started the heating process, he suddenly realised something.

"Hold on, sir, but what am I supposed to make? You haven't given me any objectives on what to forge..." He inquired, tapping the steel tongs on the anvil as if playing the drum.

Yorn Thornberry was taken aback by this sudden change of personality as he threw a few bones and the skin of a recently-deceased animal. "Here. As you may have guessed, I lost my primary weapon - my battleaxe - during my process of saving you from the Lightning Tiger. Use these bones and the pelt I took from the Lightning Tiger cub we fought and forge me a new battleaxe."

"Huh? So that was what the flash of light and the subsequent cursing was about... This seems like a waste of materials if I forge using them since I'll fail multiple times. However, if you insist, I'll gladly repay you this debt of taking me in as your disciple by forging you a fine battleaxe!" Samuel thought back to the day before when he met this mysterious elder in the forest. He felt as if this esteemed elder was treating him too nicely to be true. After all, he had only saved his life and that debt was paid off immediately afterwards when he was saved by Yorn Thornberry. However, now he was accepting him as a disciple and giving him such precious materials for a failed weapon? Something seemed very fishy but no one would waste an opportunity when it presented itself to them.

Despite his suspicions, he thought carefully about his plan going into forging this battleaxe. In his first lifetime, he only learned about forging with metal and even that was lacking. How would he know how to forge with bone and skin? Was it even possible? A myriad of thoughts flew through Samuel's mind, causing him to have trouble to stand up straight as he felt dizzy.

He quickly swatted these thoughts away and focused on experimenting with the materials. Even if he had no clue how to forge using bone and skin, there was no point in doing nothing. He made a makeshift plan of forging the bones like ordinary metal and using the pelt as a handle grip, much like leather grips.

He grabbed the steel songs firmly, ensuring he had a strong grip on the bone he was heating up. He knew how fragile bone was and didn't dare drop it lest it shatters into dust. It really was a mystery of how bones could be as strong as steel and yet as brittle as dried clay. Nonetheless, he shoved the bone into the ferocious flames and waited for it to heat up. In shows documenting the process of forging, they constantly spoke of the amber glow of the metal when it was fully heated. Thus, he chose to wait for that sign to appear as he decided to explore the way the forge functioned.

Judging from the garden decorations he had seen in his manor, he understood that the current advances in technology were limited and they had to use roundabout methods to create the same effect as mordern-day items. As he had expected, he quickly identified a ring of chalk and vermillion gems scattered around the utmost edges of the room. 

A formation? Although he understood the meaning behind the chalk lines which represented the formation used, he couldn't;t fathom the use of the specific gems scattered along the ring of chalk. Checking the bone's progress, he decided to ask Yorn about it.

"Sir, I couldn't help but notice the formation set in place for this forge... However, there is one thing which I just don't understand: The gems. What are they there for?" He asked curiously. He knew that this may be commonplace knowledge and he would look like a fool asking such a question but he had no other way to find out the answer to this question in a better way.

"Huh? Do you mean those Fire Stones? I'm surprised you don't know about formations; did your parents never teach you about formations? Those Fire Stones, although only of the lower category, fuel the formation which then allows the forge to function. It is quite expensive since I have to purchase them in bulk and there's no way to disable the formation without having to redraw the entirety of the formation once more..." He had a downcast face, it was clear how much this wore out his finances. Apparently these formations couldn't be toggled on or off and were usually an inconvenience in most situations. However, those formations made the world spin and so it wasn't a choice on whether or not to have one.

After discussing that topic, Samuel checked on the bone sitting in the forge before his face sunk. Although the bone didn't melt, it didn't give any glow whatsoever and looked charred. He hurriedly brought it out to inspect. He took it to the anvil and swung a hammer down at it before it was pulverized to a paste. Samuel swore inwardly as he observed this flaw in his plans. Not only did it not keep its solidity, but the material couldn't be displaced into certain shapes. Although the outside was solid, the inside was practically mush.

How am I supposed to forge something which becomes powder? This simply doesn't make sense! 

Suddenly, he thought of an idea, like a flash of lightning. He grabbed some ingots of iron which were stored in a nearby vault and put the bone inside the forge once more after pounding it to ash. "If my shady searching on the internet has done me any favours: It's teaching me useless stuff I usually think I would never need!" Samuel thought with a wide grin spread across his face.

In the corner of the room, Yorn Thornberry was taken aback by this new development. "What is this boy going to use the iron for? Didn't I tell him only to use the bones and pelt?" While he thought this, he didn't dare voice these words as he wished to see the results of the obscure methods.

An hour later, and Samuel placed a metal box in the forge, placing the soft bones into the box. While this was a gamble, it was the only way to capture the liquid bone. If the box melted before the bone, everything would be for nothing. Yet, if he was too late and the bone melted beforehand, It would make a mess in the forge and cause a lot more issues. This wasn't an easy task to estimate the timing as he had to heat the bone ash over 1600 degrees celsius for it to melt and that exceeded the melting point of iron by approximately 90 degrees celsius.

Soon later, Samuel opened the forge doors and placed the box of molten bone in front of the open flames. This was so the bones wouldn't solidify and yet it wasn't hot enough for the box to melt.

Taking the ingot of iron, he placed it in the forge until it had an amber glow. He brought it to the anvil afterwards, hammering it until it resembled the shape of a battleaxe. He finished off the iron base by hammering a tang into the bottom so it could fit into the handle with ease.

Upon achieving the general shape, he used a whetstone to manually form the bevel on the blade. Samuel found this hilarious - "They could make fountains and forges, yet they can't make a simply grindstone? Well, I guess that was asking too much from an underdeveloped civilisation." He mocked the dwarves endlessly for this, even if it was just nitpicking.

Satisfied with his final result, despite the hammer marks, he dipped the weapon into the liquified bone ashes, coating it before letting it dry on a rack.

An hour had easily passed like this and yet, as time went on, Yorn got more and more confused. Nothing like this had been done before, just how did this arrogant noble heir think of such a unique method? Despite thinking it wouldn't work, he could feel a bit of self-doubt as he watched more.

When the bone solidified, it created a solid casing stronger than ordinary steel. Samuel decided not to create a mould to pour the molten bone ashes into as it would have the same effect of the inside being mush and the outside being strong. Thus, he decided to keep the outside's strong features while replacing the insides with a more durable alternative.

However, there was no such thing as smooth sailing when it came to experimenting with the unknown as he identified several flaws: 1. The bevel had become nearly nonexistent due to the addition of the bone. 2. There were clumps of solid bone found throughout the battleaxe. 3. There were cracks and chips of bone missing from the coating of bone.

The first and second issues were easy to solve because of the use of whetstones and files. The clumps which formed bumps along the surface could be filed out to form a smooth appearance and the bevel could be remade.

However, the third issue was much more difficult to solve. This sign meant that the coating was imperfect and brittle. However, there was nothing Samuel could do about it now. He had to finish this up before the due time for his quest expired.

He hurriedly finished up the finishing touches before a memorable bell tolled in his mind.

"Ding!

Weapon forged: Cracked Battleaxe of Souls
Forger: Samuel Goldstache
Description: This unique weapon encases the primaeval techniques of the forefathers of smithing. This weapon is haunted by the soul of the Lightning Tiger it was made out of. Call upon the restless spirit to accompany you in battle as a loyal partner."

Wow! Turns out that reincarnation does exist!

Follow the brave adventures of a little otaku who challenges even God in order to get what he wants with the help of his shady system!

(Please help me write a better synopsis, I'm bad. This is a plea for help :( )

Click.

Leaving the silent world behind, Shin returned to the Comfort of his home.

"Samantha, are you there?"

Hearing no response, Shin felt lonely once more, pinching himself to be sure he was back in his pod. It made no difference however, Shin knew he could feel pain both in VR and reality the same. Closing his eyes, he attempted to feel for her in his mind. There was nothing.

'Samanth-' 

"AHHHHH!!!" A maniacal scream assaulted Shin as his soul jumped out of his body!

She jumped out wearing her hair over her face in a white gown, making her look like the grudge.

"Welcome back Shin! Nice to see that you missed me."

"Damn it, you scared me, Samantha!" Shin's heart nearly stopped.

Samantha, laughing, flicked her hair back revealing her youthful almond eyes and pearl white teeth, letting out her sweet bell voice once more.

"I missed you too!"

"Shin, You have a new friend request and 2 new messages, let's check them together."

Samantha jumped onto the couch, welcoming Shin, her smooth dark olive skin glistening.

"Were you in the shower?"

"A bath just now. Come sit'" She patted the couch.

Together, checking their server countdown and messages, Samantha was on the same page as Shin. Both Mark and Jason sent a thumbs up emoticon. Signaling that they were ready and waiting as well. 

Aside from Mark, Jason, and the other 3000 lucky contenders of the Owl Expedition, millions of players lining up had awaited this day to discover a full dive for their first time. There weren't many full dive options, and all were equally expensive. It wasn't until Fiction Engine announced their mystery game that people finally bought into VR.

Just a day prior to the release, on the news, the details of Immortals Online was spreading. Though the details wouldn't come about until the first wave of players logged out and uploaded reviews and footage. To top that off, the game would only allow each player 2 hours of playtime per day. Which sent players raging, not knowing about the time compression. 

When they called for refunds, they were told, that in order to refund the product, they would have had to of tried it first. Essentially forcing them to play the game at least once. Fiction Engine really thought things through.

After messaging the guys back with a thumbs up, Shin checked his friend request.

[Player Pow Kitten would like to be your friend. Accept?]

'She really is using that…' It was her handle from back in Leaf Tale.

'Yes.'

Once the countdown for Immortals Online reached the final 10 seconds, Samantha disappeared from the castle, her presence once again making Shin feel whole. Soon after, the countdown reached zero and Shin was teleported.

———————————————————————————————

Shin blinked. 

In front of him, rather than S x S Castle, was a new scene. 

The sun emitted an oppressive heat, hurting his eyes as he squinted, turning his head away. 

Adjusting his vision, a distant sky, devoid of life stretched out for miles. There wasn't a hint of green or land out ahead of him, only clouds. Clouds and a gigantic shadow.

'Samantha, are you-'

'Dodge!!'

Shin leaped to the side in response to Samantha, almost by reflex. It was then, that he realized something was wrong. He was still falling and there was no ground in sight.

'Look above Shin.'

Shin turned his head and looked. Above him, he saw what he had dodged. Spanning hundreds of meters across the sky was the most iconic sight that Shin could imagine. It had dark red leathery skin outstretched by a limber frame that connected to a cannon barrel-like chest. Behind it stretched thick back legs built like a tank to hold it's weight with a colossal tail flowing from between them. 

If he hadn't fallen, he would have barely of gotten away from the beast. The iconic Dragon.

Shin could only make out the vague description as it shot through the clouds like a meteor, guarding the heavens. It was an experience he would never forget. 

'Samantha, did you see it?'

'Of course, I did. It was beautiful!'

Darkness suddenly began to choke Shin's vision as he stared bleakly with unmoving eyes. His throat was too dry to give in to his urge to let the heavy feeling within him surface. He wanted to puke!

He mentally yelled in desperation, 'Samantha! Are there any flying Eagles nearby?' 

'Not a single one. The sky is too vast and we're moving too fast. I can't sense a thing!'

Shin's face at this point was stretching. When he was only a boy, other's would always comment on how big his head appeared in comparison to his body. He had always thought it was figurative, but now, was a true believer. 

Headfirst, Shin was breaking flight records, barreling through clouds of mist. Shin had always imagined himself flying through the clouds before, but at the speed, he fell, the atmosphere itself was rejecting him. Each and every atom being pushed away fought back, creating friction on his skin. 

Until the clouds parted…

[WELCOME TO IMMORTALS ONLINE] 

The only sound that remained was the whispers of the wind, minus Pocahontas.

'Shin, it's Colors of-'

'Close enough.' 

Shin, being at least a few thousand feet from the surface now. Below him was a vast ocean that spread out for what seemed to be an eternity. Since his speed began to obey the laws of physics. He prepared for impact. Facing death head-on. 

'Samantha, how long do you think until impact?'

'At your current speed? It should -'

'Fuck.'

SLAM!!

————————————————————————

As Shin lay there, unmoving, other players weren't as unfortunate. It was only the 16 Owl Desciple expedition winners who received Shin's special introduction.

Sheryl wasn't one of them. 

She screamed!

Like many other's, she had not even noticed the Dragon before it was too late, it directly crashing through where she stood. She flew! Not seeing the ground anywhere in sight, she closed her eyes attempted to open her menu. 

"Menu!"

"Settings!"

Nothing. 

Sheryl yelled, and not having experience with VR in the past, she wasn't aware that she only had to imagine the menu appearing for it to actually happen. Word commands were inconvenient and could lead to confusion. 

Imagine trying to explain to a friend how the use the user menu or trade window, yet every time you said the word 'trade', 'menu', 'settings', or 'status' being bombarded with new windows blocking your vision. Voice commands for menus were the worst idea since the Game Cube.

She spun above the clouds, forming a snowy vortex in her vision as time twisted and froze. A deep voice entered her mind directly.

'Pow Kitten, O dear child. Today you are reborn. No longer woman, or human, but a being with infinite potential.' A kind, aged, voice spoke into her head.

'For centuries, the children born to this world have stagnated. Their heritage lost to them, but you… With you're arrival. I see hope at last.'

Sheryl groaned inside. 'Ugh, cutscenes.'

[TUTORIAL START!]

<MAN OR BEAST?>

'Beast!'

<HEAVEN OR EARTH?>

'Earth!'

<LOVE OR WAR?>

'LOVE!'


[RANDOMIZING STARTING ZONE]

.
.
.

'Wait, that's it?!'

Sheryl was surprised!

After looking through Mark's notes, she painted an image of her avatar, believing it wouldn't be much different than in Leaf Tale. Back then, when she wasn't running a guild related business, she was shopping. Customizing her avatar as much as she possibly could. This was Sheryl's addiction.

Character creation was her favorite part of the game. She felt ripped off with only some simple questionnaire, but remembering Jason's warning, she kept an open mind. Especially having spent 50 grand between her pod and Shin's loan.

[BUILDING AVATAR…] 

[COMPLETE]

'Pow Kitten, of the Owl Continent, Gaia needs your help! So set off, survive and ascend to the heavens!'

Opening her eyes, Sheryl found herself over an ocean descending at a safe speed. 

As she prepared to dive in, from the corner of her eye she saw a massive resort. 'Oh my!'

[WELCOME TO IMMORTALS ONLINE!]

Splash!!

Sheryl opened her eyes from beneath the surface, seeing various sea critters scattering from her in panic. Most of them unrecognizable, the level of detail that went into each species impressed her. She swam throughout her own private sea world, enjoying her timeless experience.

Looking around herself in the crystal clear water, her eyes landed on a 1.5 meter long, giant sea turtle. It had a blueish green shade to it, with a darkened shell that protected it from the sun's hurtful rays. A faint blue glow originated from a large rune inscribed into it's back. On its head, an iron battle helmet left behind from war perhaps. Sheryl, focusing on the critter, saw its name.

<Private Snapper>

The name had a double meaning Sheryl thought, neither was good for her, so she swam to the surface. Kicking her legs which felt more friction from the water than normal, she took a deep breath of fresh air. 

She swam slowly but surely to the shore, the tide bringing her in even faster. Stretching her arm out in front of her, Sheryl saw that it was layered in orange fur, striped here and there with white pigment. Her claws had begun to tell the rest of the story.

'A Cat-person.'

She shrugged. Sheryl had no trouble controlling her limbs as she still held a humanoid form. She figured that her new body wouldn't be so bad. Fighting and class building was an afterthought as she looked at her soft pink hands with pure white claws.

'Will pink nail polish be a bit too much?' 

Her mind was already in overdrive regarding how to customize her outfits to match her fur. Sheryl was excited. Swimming naked toward the shoreline.

Splash! Splash!

Others began to arrive, diving into the ocean as she had done. Putting on a serious expression, she sped up. Not knowing if resources were limited. She counted the sounds of each player as she reached the sandy beach.

'5 others…' She sighed in relief. 

Immortals Online was supposed to use a discovery mapping system. This meant it would grow with time players discovered new areas on its outer edges. Her concern was that this early in the game, there would be so many players in each of the central locations that she couldn't get anything done. Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Sighing with relief as she began to surface from the water, Sheryl shook off her fur. It was a great feeling, the momentum pulling at her every follicle as water was wicked away tingled her skin. Looking down, she noticed that her nipples were peeking out from her breasts. She dashed off on her new legs!

'Jason, that bastard didn't warn me about nudity.' Her face flushed beneath her fur as she held onto her chest, running. 

She would never admit it, but it was a freeing feeling. Running through the sands of a clear beach, no clothes between her and the elements. Something clicked in her as she traversed the sandbar, revealing what hid behind.

Immortals Online didn't have age restrictions, rather, by censoring under-aged players bodies, and that of an adult's from their vision. They avoided any lawsuit worries. Language, however, wouldn't be restricted. The game developers didn't believe in putting their players into bubbles of safety, but instead directly exposing them to the harshness of the world, where they either built a tolerance or didn't survive.

<Welcome to Bamboo Village>

The village had a tranquil atmosphere, easily confused for a resort. There were fishing nets hanging about, and beautiful bamboo houses that reminded her of a resort she had gone to in Budva, Queen of the Mediterranean. Around the village, was a field of healthy grass, stopping at the dunes she stood upon. 

A 1-meter tall fence surrounding the village stopped her in her tracks. It was a kill zone, which covered the entire perimeter of the grass to keep sea life at bay most likely. Staggered bamboo shoots interlaced with bamboo spears gave off a menacing message. 

GO AWAY!

Sheryl shivered, looking at the blood and flesh matted to the spear in front of her barely centimeters from destroying her beautiful coat of fur. Very carefully, she flexed her way past the [Bamboo Spear] graveyard, before turning back at the line of the clearing. She grabbed one of the spears and held it firmly. 

[Obtained: Bamboo Spear]

Looking carefully with every step she took for more traps, Sheryl more and more resembled a feline. Just moments ago, she had used her [Bamboo spear] to tap the ground ahead of her for safety. It snapped, caught between the vicious teeth of a bear trap.

The 50-meter stretch seemed endless as she looked back knowing its dangers. Seeing other figures not far behind she pressed on. One of the 5, a human, had directly run into the 'fence' impaling himself. His body remaining for a full 5 minutes before it disappeared. 

He still hadn't returned. 

'Shit…' Sheryl didn't want to start over being so close to the village. Another two players dropped off like flies, falling into a pit and a snare trap coated in poison. 

'Don't die, Sheryl, don't die.'

With her weight on her back leg with each step, she first tested the ground with the front. Lightly tapping the surface, then pausing. This cycle would repeat every second as she pranced along safely. 

She listened for anything, watched for everything, and prayed for nothing. 

After about 30 meters, the traps stopped altogether, but Sheryl did not. Fear was what kept her whole so far, so she continued, with haste as she was greeted by a human, stepping out from his bungalow. He yawned a lazy yawn before looking out to the sun. Catching Sheryl in his sights.

She was only steps from safety, yearning to rest her paws somewhere. The man smiled a peaceful smile, but the moment Sheryl drew close, he snapped and began to panic.

"Intruders! Intruders!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs suddenly.

"Wait no! I'm an Advent-" 

"Guards! Hellp!" His voice woke up the entire village!

'Shit!'

Our MC, Fu Shin, is a 27 year old drop out. going through severe depression after his mother's passing. His is two best friends, being his only support decide that he needs therapy, gaming therapy! 

Join them as they tackle their first VRMMO experience ever, Immortals Online! 

Walk alongside them in their most intimate moments in their most heart pumping, slime smashing, and **** bashing journey competing to get a life! 

A life, playing video games!
___________________________

1 Chapter/day is the goal! Keeping strong!

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