"Nima," Kent said, tossing the sleek black scythe toward her. "Here—a gift. This will keep you safe."
Nima caught the weapon with wide eyes. "A scythe? What am I, the Grim Reaper? Where am I supposed to put this thing? You want to carry it all the ti?"
Kent grinned. "Wait—I have another surprise." He reached into the system shop and quickly purchased a slender, intricately carved spatial bracelet. "This one's for you. It's not just a fancy accessory; it's also a tool for a cultivator. With it, you can have a storage space. You can store many things inside it."
Nima frowned playfully as she examined both the scythe and the bracelet. She says," This bracelet… is it like the Doreamon pocket? Big brother, you are so cool. Where did you get this? Tell the secret."
"It's just my superpower, you can't tell anyone about this." Kent replied.
Nima nods and says, "They look cool and all, but how am I supposed to use them?"
Kent winked. "That's where you co in. A drop of your blood will do the trick, bonding the essence of your spirit to these tools."
Rolling her eyes dramatically, Nima pricked her finger with her teeth and let a tiny drop fall onto the scythe's hilt and the bracelet. Almost imdiately, both items glowed with a subtle inner light as if acknowledging her contribution. "Ohhh, I like this," she said, twirling the scythe experintally.
anwhile, Kent handed Auri a small pouch containing Physique Enhancent Fruits. The little bird pecked at them suspiciously before gulping them down in one swift motion. Suddenly, a faint golden light enveloped Auri. His feathers shimred, his talons grew sharper, and his eyes glead with newfound power.
[Ding! Auri has leveled up to Level-E!]
Auri flapped his wings excitedly. "Chip chip! I feel amazing!"
Kent grinned broadly. "Great. Now, here's sothing for you too: a pair of special claws—designed to be refined with a drop of your blood. Give it a try and make them even sharper!"
Auri tilted his head, then, with a determined peck, allowed a tiny droplet from his beak to fall onto the claw accessory. In a flash, his claws began to glisten with a refined, razor-sharp edge.
Once their new gear was refined, the trio is ready to head to the remote rural site where the ruins would open. The bus was a motley collection of tired travelers. As the vehicle rumbled along the winding highway, Kent gazed out the window, "Nima and Auri's safety is more secure now." He reviewed his recent purchases and noted with satisfaction that his new gear was exactly what his team needed.
Before long, however, the bus slowed to a crawl and then ca to a complete stop. Kent peered out the window to see a massive traffic jam stretching for miles.
Unknown to Kent. Reason of traffic jam was that Watchers blocked the highway due to the ruins' opening.
"What's going on?" Nima asked from her seat as she leaned forward, her eyes scanning the chaotic scene.
"I don't know there is a huge traffic jam," Kent observed. "And that might an a long wait."
"Ugh, how long is this gonna take?" Nima groaned.
Kent sighed. "Probably a while." Then, a mischievous smile spread across his face. "Actually… this might be a golden opportunity."
He stood up and rummaged through his backpack. "Where are you going?" Nima asked, half-amused and half-concerned.
"To make money, of course," Kent replied with a glint in his eyes.
He hopped off the bus and pulled out a small portable cooking stove from his system storage and so boxes of stinky momos. He put the momos on the stove and fry them. Soon, the unmistakable, horrendous stench of Stinky Momos wafted through the entire area.
The effect was imdiate. People began to react—so gagged, others covered their noses, and a few even dry-heaved. A man near the front shouted, "What the hell is that?!" while another muttered, "It's… oddly appetizing."
Kent flashed his best salesman smile. "Ladies and gentlen, are you stuck in traffic and starving? Feast your eyes—and your stomachs—on the legendary Stinky Momos! A delicacy so potent, even the mightiest warrior would think twice before fighting hunger!"
Nima facepald as a few passengers exchanged incredulous glances, but curiosity soon overpowered disgust. One by one, travelers began lining up for a taste. Kent sold steaming plates of the monos, applying his clever "highway congestion pricing strategy" and charging twice the normal rate.
Ding!
999…999 SP copied from Passenger Joy,
999…999 SP copied from Passenger Disgust,
999…999 SP copied from Passenger Satisfaction,
999…999 SP copied from Passenger Amusent.
Kent's digital SP counter ticked upward as he racked up sales. "Easy money," he boasted to a grinning passenger who had just purchased a plate, earning extra SP with every transaction.
anwhile, back on the bus, Nima and Auri were busy testing their new gear. Nima swung her newly refined scythe and spatial bracelet in playful arcs; the scythe's blade glowed faintly with mysterious energy. "I'm starting to feel like a badass reaper."
She laughed while putting the scythe back and forth in the bracelet. "Ha Ha Ha! I can store a ton of snacks inside. I don't need to buy snacks everyday. I can buy a lot of snacks with the money I will earn from Ruin treasurers."
Auri, now sporting sharply refined claws after consuming his Physique Enhancent Fruits, chirped proudly from Nima's shoulder, "Chip chip! I'm ready to take on any foe—even if it's just to peck them to pieces!"
Kent regrouped with them after selling all the momos with a satisfied nod, already tallying the SP earned. "See, Nima? This is why you never complain about taking the bus—opportunities are everywhere!"
Nima rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Just promise you won't start selling stinky momos every ti we hit traffic," she teased.
Kent laughed, ruffling Auri's newly refined feathers. "No promises," he replied. "But for now, we're loaded with money, our gear is upgraded, and we're one step closer to exploring those ruins."
Kent had been mulling over whether he needed a proper sword. The soul Slasher dagger was his trump card. He needs an everyday sword —a true warrior's arsenal demands a weapon forged from fire and tal. With his Infernal Crystal in hand, pulsing with a faint, reddish glow, Kent decided it was ti to craft a new weapon. "I will be entering the Ruin soon. I need a sword. Nima and Auri have new gear—I also need one."
Instead of visiting a physical shop, Kent logged into his system shop from the bus—stuck in heavy traffic due to the ruins opening—and browsed for rare tals. The system displayed an array of glittering ingots and exotic ores.
One particular item caught his eye: a slab of rare, obsidian-like tal known as Everburn Alloy, reputed to absorb and amplify elental energies. The system shop's interface read,
[Ding! This Everburn Alloy is perfect for your needs—rare, durable, and it channels heat like no other.]
Kent confird the purchase with 10 million, knowing it was a necessary investnt, even though it cost him a tidy sum of SP.
With the Everburn Alloy now in his digital inventory, Kent turned his attention back to forging his new weapon. In the cramped confines of the bus, amidst the sound of honking horns and murmurs from fellow passengers, he activated his SSS-Rank Architect of Creation skill. He envisioned his workshop within his Void Domain—even if his physical workspace was temporarily a bus seat. He laid out the Infernal Crystal beside the Everburn Alloy on his portable workbench and began the intricate process.
"I've been learning the way of the sword," Kent mused aloud, "I need a sword—one that carries the blazing might of my flas." He focused intently, rging the raw energy of the Infernal Crystal with the molten Everburn Alloy. Sparks flew as his spiritual energy danced with the tal, forming a glowing stream that obeyed his every command. The process was both intricate and absurdly satisfying—a dance of creation that felt like painting with fire.
With skilled hands and relentless determination, Kent carved a sleek, curved blade. Its edge shimred with a mix of hellfire and frost—an elegant contradiction. Finally, with one final flourish of his Architect skill, he infused the blade with his own spirit. "I na this sword €€€€¥¥$," he declared, his voice resonating across his tiny makeshift workshop. The blade vibrated with life, its surface etched with intricate runes pulsing in harmony with the Infernal Crystal's glow.
He stepped back to admire his handiwork. Emberfang was everything he had envisioned—a cool, elegant fire sword burning with the intensity of hellfire yet retaining the biting chill of frost. It was both a weapon and a work of art, a symbol of his relentless determination to protect his realm.
With a satisfied nod, Kent whispered, "My sword, may you carve our destiny in flas and frost and other types of fires." At that mont, as the sound of the idling bus and distant traffic filled his ears, " alright I will leave you in Vod Domain to cool down."
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