Volume 1, Chapter 39: Advanced Combat Suit

Li Chuan was utterly speechless.

"What exactly is going on in that little head of yours? I’ve got the knack for finding keys. Do you want to buy a blue-tier weapon from the shop? If so, then let’s move."

Lin Yaoyao followed behind Li Chuan, half-doubting.

...

In the withered forest.

"Hey! That place is dangerous, don't go in there!"

Li Chuan hopped over to the side of a stone statue and effortlessly picked up two golden keys from the ground.

"Dangerous? It doesn't seem dangerous at all. Wait, damn, don't you walk in there."

...

"There are more keys over there, go get them!"

"Are you crazy? I’m not suicidal enough to walk into just anywhere. Let’s go look somewhere else!"

...

"What are you hacking at that stone statue for?"

[Fusion Statue: Blue]
[HP: 3500/3500]
[Lv 30, a powerful cursed statue. It will attack any existence within its range that dares to make noise, look directly at it, or turn its head!]
[Attack Range: 30-meter radius. Attack Method: Spatial Compression. Trigger Time: 3 seconds. Weakness marked!]

Li Chuan stared at the ground, too afraid to speak or turn his head, so he typed a reply to her.

"Don't you have those fancy glasses? Can't you see this statue is a blue-tier monster?"

Because time was short, Li Chuan hadn't bothered to kill every statue he encountered, only taking the clearance keys nearby. But he couldn't let this blue one slide; boss-level monsters had a chance to drop blue-tier equipment. What Li Chuan wanted most right now was the shoulder armor from the high-level cloth armor set.

Lin Yaoyao put away her glasses and shook her head vigorously.

"I can't see it at all. Isn't that just a normal stone statue?"

"Oh my god, the statue dropped loot!"

Lin Yaoyao, who was keeping watch from afar, covered her small mouth.

[Ding! Killed Lv 30 Fusion Statue (Boss) x1, EXP +300.]

Li Chuan excitedly picked up the blue gear that had dropped.

"I've really got some damn good luck!"

This boss-level statue, burdened with three forbidden status effects, had actually dropped two pieces of blue gear.

[Advanced Combat Pauldrons (Set): Blue]
[Required Level: 15]
[Armor +500, Strength +5.]
[Set Attribute: Fully Activated.]
[Description: A refined set suitable for various melee professions.]

Li Chuan had finally completed the blue-quality Advanced Combat Set. The third and final set bonus was a +10 to all attributes. It was incredibly powerful!

...

The second blue piece was a necklace.

[Becky's Necklace: Blue]
[Required Level: 15]
[Mana +30, Intelligence +18]
[Skill Cooldown Reduction 5%]
[Description: Even a craftsman has a beloved worth remembering.]

It was a high-grade necklace, but it provided Intelligence instead of Agility, so it wasn't suitable for Li Chuan.

Walking back to the girl, Li Chuan pulled out the necklace with a pained expression.

"A blue necklace dropped. It's yours, but don't get the wrong idea—it's just a reward for you guarding Little Green."

Lin Yaoyao’s eyes sparkled instantly.

"Really? It's really for me? It’s so beautiful! Are you sure you don’t want me to repay you with my hand in marriage?"

Li Chuan shook his head.

"Thanks, but no."

Lin Yaoyao put on the necklace. The amethyst-like gem against the girl's fair, delicate skin looked exceptionally beautiful and dazzling.

"Really no? You’re the first man to ever give me a gift."

Li Chuan was puzzled.

"With a face like that, surely some boy pursued you back in school? No one ever gave you a gift?"

The girl shook her head nonchalantly.

"Entering this place was the first time I ever left that area. I've only ever seen the concept of 'school' in movies."

...

[Ding! One hour remaining until the end of Main Quest 1. Players are advised to expedite the retrieval of quest items.]

Li Chuan and Lin Yaoyao had just returned under Little Green’s canopy when they received this system notification.

"Ah! Only an hour left! Quickly, check how many keys we have. If we don't hurry and sell them, they won't be worth anything!"

That was true!

Li Chuan hurried to take out their haul from the withered forest and began counting.

...

At the player gathering spot, beneath the chilly Snow Plum Tree.

"Sister Han, we have nineteen clearance keys in total, but there are seventeen people with photosynthetic pods. What should we do with the two extra ones?"

Gao Han looked up, revealing a delicate, snow-white face.

"Put them on the channel. Five gold coins each, first come, first served."

The freckled girl clenched her small fists.

"Sister Han, isn't five gold coins a bit too cheap? People would definitely pay more for them, after all, this is..."

Gao Han interrupted, her tone brooking no argument.

"These are items used to save lives. Selling them at such a high price would be profiteering, wouldn't it? I can't do that. Just five gold coins. After they are sold, use the ten coins to buy food and divide it among everyone!"

The freckled girl nodded helplessly.

...

"Alright."

Forbidden Area Regional Chat Channel.

Current players in the area: 131/1000

Chu Fanxing: "The Illuminati is selling two clearance keys, five gold coins each."

ZhouzhouBuzhouzhou: "I want them! I want them!"

Ah Lian: "I'll buy one! I happen to have five gold coins."

SibuXiangXiangShenme: "Thank goodness, finally I don't have to stay here. I want one."

...

Chu Fanxing: "First come, first served. The two clearance keys have been sold. Everyone, please stop sending me private messages."

SibuXiangXiangShenme: "So fast? No, I only need a clearance key! I’ll pay eight gold coins! I’ll pay eight!"

SuiyueBuTaiJinghao: "I’ll pay nine! Please, sell it to me, I really can't find a key!"

YangliuXiyao: "Damn it! Why not sell it to me? There’s no way there aren't extra keys. You're just mocking us poor people without keys, aren't you!"

Chu Fanxing: "That's not true, there really were only two keys, and they've already been sold."

ShennengLiuzong: "Bullshit! Who did you sell them to? Who would sell extra keys for only five gold coins? Do you think we're idiots!"

DuoJinGongzi: "I think so too! What kind of 'Illuminati' is that! Bah!"

LiuHaizhu: "Are you damn people finished yet? What's wrong with selling keys cheaply? If you have time to argue, why not hurry up and search for keys? Do you want to become those human-ghost stragglers?"

...

The players who hadn't managed to buy a key turned their aggression toward the Illuminati for selling them cheaply. The Illuminati members were naturally unwilling to take such abuse and began arguing back on the channel.

In the end, the anger and loss of reason from the players who hadn't secured a key stemmed from the fact that they were about to become those half-human, half-ghost stragglers, lingering on the edge of starvation.

Just as the chat channel was filled with foul language, a different message successfully silenced everyone for a moment.

FrogPrince: "Who am I? I'm your daddy!"

ZhiZhanHuaBuReCao (Cold-Blooded One): "Selling ten clearance keys, highest bidder takes them!"

—After a brief silence.

DuoJinGongzi: "I bid ten gold coins!"

ShennengLiuzong: "I bid six gold coins plus two pieces of green-tier gear!"

YangliuXiyao: "I only have five gold coins, but I’m willing to offer myself!"

DongheLiushui: "You fat hag, stop trying to disgust people."

...

Messages seeking to buy flooded the screen.

Under the Tree of Miracles, Lin Yaoyao looked at Li Chuan, puzzled.

"We have over thirty keys, why did you only say we have ten?"