57 - Dungeon Growth Log

Xia Ge had an inherently restless spirit. Whether that business about holding hands was true or not was irrelevant at the moment… Just knowing that the place where he was recuperating was such a “sacred ground” made Xia Ge even more uneasy. Moreover, thinking carefully back, when he had woken up, his hand really had been clutching Senior Sister’s… fingers interlaced, no less. Xia Ge tried hard to shift his perspective. Even though the System hadn't fully awakened, Xia Ge could still summon its basic functions, such as the system shop and the skill panel. When he opened the points shop, he found out that his balance had inexplicably increased by twenty points. Checking the points history, he discovered that it was a reward for successfully refining the [Three-Life Golden Pill] and comprehending the [Ancient Spirit Gathering Array]. Ancient Spirit Gathering Array? Could it be the one he accidentally used during the competition, the array in the Patriarch's tomb? Damn, it was indeed a treasure! Definitely worth it! The joy passed, and Xia Ge stared at the details, scratching his head before his eyes suddenly lit up, "So... does this mean I successfully refined the pill last time?" Comprehended the Ancient Spirit Gathering Array and refined the Three-Life Golden Pill— Holy cow, how awesome is he! The weight in his heart suddenly lifted; after Bi Xi had come, she had moved the small table and all the scrolls on it away, robbing him of the chance to sneak a peek at the rankings. But— Since he had refined the Three-Life Golden Pill, he must certainly be in the top six! Excellent.jpg "Ehh... but shouldn't that be thirty points? Why are there only twenty?" Xia Ge looked at the balance again, puzzled, "So strange..." The points log recorded all point expenditures and income in detail, but the missing ten points left no trace. Just 30 points in, with no 10 points out. "Why are ten points missing?" Unable to find any clues, Xia Ge thought about the painful experience of digging up dozens of sanitary pads during an all-night excavation in the back mountains. Seeing the inexplicable loss of ten points, he felt his heart aching, "Ten sanitary pads!" System: "…I used them." The System's sudden comment startled Xia Ge, "Ah, you're awake?" System: "Hmm." Despite the System waking up, there was no joy for Xia Ge, only regret and bitterness, "You used ten sanitary pads?!" System: "…I don't use sanitary pads." Xia Ge, tearful, "But they're gone!" System: "..." "Never mind.” Xia Ge wore a weathered look, "You're the big shot; use them if you want. I'm just the oppressed proletariat." System: "…" This tone definitely carried a hint of discontent. After a moment of contemplation, the System explained. "I couldn't wake up because your Spirit Qi backlash prevented me from starting. So I used ten points to awaken." Xia Ge replied blankly, "Why'd you awaken then? Might as well stay dormant." System: "..." Though the ten-point awakening bit was a lie, hearing this made it kinda want to punch someone. “You’re awake now, so help me find some medicine to heal faster.” The points spent were like water spilt; Xia Ge could only accept the reality, albeit bitterly, and then try to extract some remaining value from it. System: "..." Who was really being oppressed? Despite the internal grumbling, the System felt guilty for deleting its host's memory without permission. “There is something; healing fast is simple. Steamed buns from Jinjiang will do.” It displayed the buns from Jinjiang Bun House, placing them first and opened the detailed description page. [Soup Dumplings - Jinjiang] [Rapidly heal wounds! Eating one accelerates recovery of minor injuries, allowing you to move freely for a day! Only 15 points! Super affordable!] Xia Ge: "…" System: "I told you they weren't ordinary buns, but you wouldn’t believe me." Xia Ge: "…The buns at the Jinjiang stall cost a single copper coin each and seem much more affordable, don't they?" System: "But they can’t heal wounds." Unexpected, huh.jpg Xia Ge: "..." I lost this round. Spending fifteen points on a healing bun, Xia Ge couldn't help but feel something was off as he held the bun. "Host, why aren’t you eating?" Seeing Xia Ge dazing at the bun, the System felt a bit nervous. "I don't know..." Xia Ge stared at the bun, "I feel like I'm forgetting something." System, uneasy: "...No way." Xia Ge shook his head and habitually took a small bite, "Maybe I'm overthinking. Oh, right, Koi, quickly check my credibility with Senior Sister." Soon, he put the small matter aside. “Not bad, it's normal.” The System checked, “30% trust level. She believes what you say... as long as you're honest.” Xia Ge was surprised, "Eh, not entirely bankrupt yet?" System: “...You want it to be bankrupt?” "Not really." Xia Ge slowly finished the bun, pausing, "It’s just that... telling the truth would mean getting punished, and..." “For some reason…” Xia Ge touched his chest, somewhat troubled, "Is Senior Sister too intimidating? Why do I always feel like I can't trust her?" System: “She’s not intimidating; you just don't want to get punished.” Xia Ge sighed, “Maybe... but I guess punishment is inevitable, just a matter of severity.” System: “As long as you understand.” "Fine, punishment it is. I'm used to it. Oh, by the way, I need to ask you something." Xia Ge opened the system panel, pointing at its content, “What’s with the update here?” Puppet Panel (Updated): 【 】 He opened the puppet panel and saw hardly any difference, the only addition being a picture of the glass puppet before its transformation. The System paused, “A self-destruction function was added to the puppet.” "Huh?" System: "Press that picture." Xia Ge poked it, the image flipped to reveal a grey, alarming 【EXPLODE】 at the back. The System explained, “If you press it again, the puppet will explode. The range and power of the explosion vary with the puppet's level.” Xia Ge: “...This feature... Oh, grey means it's unusable?” System: “Yes, it has a distance limit. Only when you sense the puppet can you activate the self-destruct.” Xia Ge: “I see, quite inconvenient.” After a moment, Xia Ge blinked and got excited, "So what can my earlier puppet blow up? Is it super powerful? Like a mini-nuke?” System: “You know how a firecracker in a sealed bottle feels? Pretty much like that.” Xia Ge: "..." From mini-nuke to a firecracker in a bottle, were they even on the same wavelength? System: "Why? You expect a low-level puppet to shake the heavens?" Xia Ge's expression turned apathetic. Enough, stop talking. So this skill was practically useless, right? Suffocating.jpg After finishing the bun, Xia Ge felt noticeably better. The sense of weakness from severe injury began to fade, and his strength gradually returned. This gave him time to ponder more important things than firecrackers in bottles. For example, what he discovered in the tomb. “Little Koi, didn't you say before that if I found the 【Soul Suppressing】, I could upgrade directly?” System: “Yes.” It was surprised, “You found clues?” Xia Ge’s lips curved into a slight smile, “Found some clues, but still uncertain. If that bun works well, I should be able to get out of bed tomorrow, right?” System: “More or less...?” = = Meanwhile, at Sword Peak. There were rooms prepared for inner disciples, and Yeon Woo didn’t have much to pack, just a few stacks of books and clothes. Under the moonlight, as Yeon Woo carried the last stack of books up the mountain, he was suddenly stopped. "Hey... let me take a look." A voice with a cheeky tone said, "Is this the poor guy from Dan Peak?" “Hahaha, look, he’s still wearing hemp clothes. Haha, where’s your Dan Peak’s simple elegance?” "Oh dear, he's different. Now that he’s at Sword Peak, he’s a noble son of Sword Peak. How could he still be wearing those lowly Dan Peak clothes?” “What? Does he think that joining Sword Peak means he’s no longer a dog of Dan Peak? Hahaha, what a joke—" “…” The mountain path was rugged, the night sky gradually covering the moon with clouds. Holding his books, Yeon Woo silently faced the three blocking his path, who laughed wildly, echoing each other. With no expression on his face, Yeon Woo held his books tight and tried walking past them, but one of them suddenly kicked him— "Hey, got quite the attitude. Walking away? Didn’t you hear when the master was talking to you?” The kick landed hard on his stomach, and the sudden pain made Yeon Woo drop his books, scattering them across the ground, and he also fell. Yeon Woo slowly got up. Under the starless and moonless night sky covered with thick clouds, the boy's eyes faintly glimmered with a cold light, but it was soon swallowed by the deep darkness. When he tried to pick up the books on the ground, his hand was suddenly stepped on! “…” Stepping on his hand was a short guy, whose slanted eyes glowed with a hint of malice, "Did you think joining Sword Peak would make you soar? Let me tell you, a beggar is always a beggar! Don't ever dream of standing on equal footing with us—oh my, just the thought of sharing classes with a maggot like you crawled out from the mud makes me sick!" Yeon Woo looked up at him with calm, unruffled black eyes. "What’s that look—what? You not convinced? Want a beating!" Fists and kicks rained down like a storm. Yeon Woo, who had only learned alchemy techniques, was no match for Sword Peak disciples proficient in swordsmanship, the difference as stark as between a student of the arts and a student of physical training—a pitiful and immediate contrast— "Huh? Not looking? Watch me beat you up!" "Submitting or not?!" "I'm telling you, even someone like you isn’t worthy of even tying our shoes!" "Haha—don't even mention it, I heard that back at Dan Peak, there were people specifically tying his shoes!" "Hahaha, who would disgrace themselves so?" the short person sneered sharply. A tall, thin person laughed, "Pfft, only maggots like him—" The boy, who had been silently enduring the beating, suddenly seemed to hear something and went berserk. He got up and punched the tall, thin person hard in the face! "Damn! You hit me—" "Do you want to die!?" Responding to Yeon Woo was even more violent fists and kicks! "Really fierce, huh—I'll let you know, I heard that maggot like you is named Xia Wu Yin—" A heavy punch landed on Yeon Woo's face, making him groan in pain, fists clenched tightly. "Hahaha, Xia Wu Yin, right, I know that name—when will he come to clean our shoes too—" "Wait, Xia Wu Yin?" The short bully paused, a bit hesitant, "Is he the one who refined the Three-Life Golden Pill in Dan Peak’s competition this year… Xia Wu Yin?" "Tch, who cares! Even if he is, so what? I’ll beat up whoever I want. No matter if he could refine a Hundred-Life Golden Pill, if I don't like him, he’ll still get beaten!" "Hahaha, exactly!" —“I don’t know him.” Before the other could speak, they heard the low voice of the beaten boy below their fists, “Who is it you’re talking about?” “Hah? Playing dumb? So he’s gotten ahead and doesn’t care about you now?” “Who told you to speak? Damn it, asking for a beating! I’ll talk about whoever I damn please!” “…” The night wind was cold, shadows swaying among the trees. Sitting on a branch, a girl with silver butterflies embroidered on her sleeves watched the brutal scene below with a faint, ephemeral smile. Look, elder sister. This is the Sword Peak you protect. Bullying the weak, arrogant, greedy, oppressive—as long as the dark desires in their hearts are stirred slightly— They’ll desperately rip apart and bite at anything they want to tear down, out of envy and jealousy. As for that renowned genius alchemist, Xia Wu Yin, who refined the Three-Life Golden Pill among the three Peaks… “Be more excellent.” She tilted her head, her smile naïve and sweet, “Rise higher.” “Be… more dazzling.” Only then, when everything is lost, will the pain be even greater, right? Chu Yi looked up slightly at the moon covered by darkness, her smile growing increasingly frigid. Author's Note: = = Thanks to… 熊喆喆 threw a landmine on 2018-06-21 00:03:24 顧歸 threw a landmine on 2018-06-21 00:40:59 請餵糖 threw a landmine on 2018-06-21 04:12:58 妖妖妖妖 threw a landmine on 2018-06-21 09:16:36 泰格-邦克 threw a landmine on 2018-06-21 12:37:22 Thank you all for the landmines! = = Reader “”, irrigated nutrient solution 12 on 2018-06-21 22:35:12 Reader "嘚嘚", irrigated nutrient solution 12 on 2018-06-21 21:06:01 Reader "pang", irrigated nutrient solution 10 on 2018-06-21 16:48:31 Reader "淼淼大人", irrigated nutrient solution 12 on 2018-06-21 13:48:44 Reader "人魚線", irrigated nutrient solution 10 on 2018-06-21 12:54:35 false 12 on 2018-06-21 12:28:51 Reader "noble", irrigated nutrient solution 15 on 2018-06-21 10:32:11 Reader "君雨", irrigated nutrient solution 5 on 2018-06-21 10:01:22 Reader "倪染", irrigated nutrient solution 10 on 2018-06-21 09:07:37 Reader "寂言", irrigated nutrient solution 12 on 2018-06-21 01:26:21 Reader "观天星", irrigated nutrient solution 30 on 2018-06-21 00:50:30 Reader “....”, irrigated nutrient solution 10 on 2018-06-21 00:32:24 Reader "自由的浪~~荡漾", irrigated nutrient solution 10 on 2018-06-21 00:10:47 = = Thank you all for the nutrient solutions! Love you all!