Damn it! Let’s smash the darkness together!
Chapter 115 - 86 New Permissions, New Direction (Thanks to Alliance Hierarch AdenJ, 20,000 updates daily, please subscribe)

Chapter 115: Chapter 86 New Permissions, New Direction (Thanks to Alliance Hierarch AdenJ, 20,000 updates daily, please subscribe)

Next, Xu Shu ran back and forth in the bathroom for a few laps, which didn’t take much time.

But it was enough for him to master the usage of two breakthrough techniques from his recent epiphany.

Among them, the attack power of the Eight Spider Spears was not very strong now, not as powerful as Xu Shu’s close-up charged punch, roughly equivalent to ordinary firearms.

However, the 88-meter boomerang-style point-kill skill with himself as the center was already quite good, very useful for dominating weaker opponents.

However, in Xu Shu’s view, its most outstanding effect might not be its lethality, but its ability to complement the effects of "Kua Fu Chasing the Sun"!

Because the trigger requirement for the acceleration of Chasing the Sun was "the enemy’s body must have one’s own blood/body fluid".

Xu Shu had already figured out, if facing an opponent of equal or superior strength, he could completely coat the Eight Spider Spears with blood and then unexpectedly stab the other party.

This was like directly sending blood into the opponent’s body, the kind that couldn’t be shaken off, ensuring that his "Chasing the Sun" could keep pounding on the opponent.

If it weren’t for the need to retract the Eight Spider Spears back into his body, Xu Shu would have even thought about trying poison, but unfortunately, that was not feasible.

Doing so would create that dramatic effect of "My knife is coated with deadly poison," then accidentally licking it and dying, which would really make him look like a clown.

"Kua Fu Chasing the Sun, combined with the Eight Spider Spears, both are attack skills, taking my combat power to a higher level."

"The only problem is that it’s a bit wasteful of blood, I’ll just get a bag to store some of my own blood later...

"Hey, doesn’t it necessarily have to be blood? Body fluids might also work?"

"Since body fluids work, the broken part doesn’t necessarily have to be the enemy’s skin, it could also be, maybe below?"

"So, can I impregnate someone from a distance?"

"It seems like some weird gameplay has emerged..."

Xu Shu looked down at his lower body and then at the tightly closed door, gradually sinking into thought.

...

Dinner was provided by the people in the shelter.

They specifically opened a separate table for Xu Shu, preparing plenty of food for him, a rare feast with both meat and vegetables, well-balanced nutrition, no fish, but large portions of meat, fresh pork that was extremely hard to come by in the wasteland.

There was even a bottle of milk.

This was the best meal Xu Shu had had since he entered this wasteland, and he did not hesitate to feast heartily.

With such good food, it even made the children next door cry with envy.

However, their crying out of envy was ultimately not as loud as the wails of orphans and widows who had lost their families.

Their voices were louder as they cried on the ground, holding Mass and praying to the Life Mother Goddess for protection.

"New Calendar Eighteenth Year, mid-November, D8B3 area (-15, 14) supply point shelter, attacked by monsters and Esoteric Buddhism, 89 dead, 45 missing; Patrol Corps Zeng Gui team fought to protect the refugees in the shelter, all 12 perished, falling in battle."

—The death news of that last Patrol Team was something Xu Shu asked Gu Pan to add.

He did not reveal his own name.

This report would be handed over by the newly elected leadership team of the shelter when the next Patrol Team passed the supply point, eventually entering the archives of the Supervision Bureau.

Perhaps it would help secure more compensation for the families of the sacrificed Patrol Soldiers, allowing them to pay residential taxes in the safe zone for a few more years.

Having known them and fought alongside them, this was all Xu Shu could do.

There was nothing for him to mourn; if he were not strong enough himself, his family would sooner or later meet the same fate.

In such a world, the weak might not even have it as good as those who could die early.

And Xu Shu’s determination to grow stronger only intensified.

That night, the bright moon hung high, and all was silent.

*

*

Inside a basement where a bunch of Slaanesh Cultists were once cremated.

Xu Shu closed the door, sat down with a determined look, and opened the Promotion Network.

[Promotion Network]

[World Chat: Online 9999+]

[Human Transcendent Alliance (Must-See for Newbies)]— （Melanie, Fourth Order Dongxuan True Monarch）

As soon as Xu Shu opened the chat interface, he saw a familiar red flashing message under the pinned information.

"Sky-full of rhetoric, tears of gratitude, the Human Clan has another pillar of talent! Mid-November, Arctic Ice Plain, a maiden stepping out for the first time, a sword flying immortal, ambushing Vice Count Yinmo’s dark realm, beheading seventy-two Iron Armored Barbarian Bull Barons, expanding new territory for the Human Clan’s frontline station!

"Qingyun List update, fourth place—Tangxi Sword Immortal, humble young widow! Review: The old paths of his garden breathe out secluded clusters, one night of profound... (comments 999+)"

—

?

God damn young widow!

Why would such a grand title as Tangxi Sword Immortal be given to that kind of person! What about me?

Indeed, only the truly twisted experts are like me.

Xu Shu gave a nod of approval for this top fourth Qingyun expert.

"Pretty impressive, pioneering the top ten experts of Qingyun right out of the gate! Truly, heroes abound like carp crossing the river; I still need to keep pushing harder.

"Though the nickname of this expert does indeed invite a chuckle."

Having enjoyed enough amusement, Xu Shu noticed a bunch of system notices flashing at the bottom left corner and clicked to check them.

A pop-up quickly emerged:

[Gu Pan (Tai Chu), congratulations on reaching level twelve, speech restriction lifted.]

"Great, great!"

Xu Shu, though now accustomed to surprises and nonplussed by changes.

Yet seeing this still brought a slight smile to his face.

He had long been tormented by this speech restriction.

If not for this darn thing restricting everything below level 12—private messaging, teaming up, adding friends,—he would have tried to purchase needed items in the [Trade Channel] long ago.

Oh, speaking of which, he seemed to be out of money.

"No matter! Now that I am level twelve, the shackles are off, from now henceforth I am as free as the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea, no longer bound."

Besides this level twelve restriction lift, there were some other messages, all popping up one after another.

"You’ve picked up another Transcendent’s Promotion Drive, identity scan completed: Yang Dong (Jize Ming Bu), a first-tier criminal."

"You’ve picked up another Transcendent..."

"You’ve picked up..."

"You’ve picked up another Transcendent’s Curse Crystal, identity status: blank, not registered in the Promotion Network, details recorded: Yan Fu, a first-tier Unclean."

"You defeated/killed another Transcendent, you can freely choose whether to upload your battle record to the Promotion Network, excellent records might improve your ranking."

"Your current rank: 438th in the Qingyun List, nickname; Iron Armor Barbarian Bull, Gu Pan."

"Upload."

Xu Shu naturally clicked to upload.

"Your battle record has been uploaded to the Promotion Network."

"Your exploits in this battle are remarkable, with a total of five kills, including one Unclean. Should your rank be updated, Lie Zhenzi will authorize a network-wide announcement. Keep up the good work, may Lie Zhenzi bless you, and may the glory of humanity endure forever."

...

"I guess I could climb up a few ranks, huh? This ranking, dead at 38, really needs a bit of work. I’ll leave it to the next lucky one."

After all this, Xu Shu prepared to check the prices in the trading area.

But before that, he couldn’t help but remember someone from the past.

With a touch of anticipation, he opened the empty "Private Message Channel," with a friends’ list adjacent to it.

Opening it, that too, appeared empty.

"Let’s see how to search and add... Huh? Search and add?"

A slight pause fixed Xu Shu’s hopeful expression on his face.

No?

No functionality to search and add friends by nickname?

Hiss...

"This Promotion Network, if you did this in my last life, you’d be getting fines from your clients."

Xu Shu felt helpless.

It seemed, tonight he would miss the chance to add the Fallen Nun, "Feifei Global Can Fly."

The beings of the Promotion Network vast; only by fate can we meet again.

Next, Xu Shu prepared to enter the trading channel to see what this online shopping was all about.

How does the delivery work? Does someone deliver personally? Is it coming directly via what they call a "plane ticket"?

In that case, who pays for the shipping?

One look would tell.

"Trading Channel: Messages 9999+"

Xu Shu clicked.

Pop!

A prompt box popped up on the screen, saying:

"Gu Pan (Tai Chu), you are entering the trading channel for the first time, you’ve reached level 12, and have automatically obtained authorization from Lie Zhenzi."

Seeing this, Xu Shu smiled slightly.

Not bad, they knew to get me through automatically.

The next second, the prompt box he clicked didn’t disappear, but displayed another line of text:

"For your first entry into the trading channel, you need to purchase one ’Mirror of Illusion and Reality,’ now automatically purchasing for you..."

"Payment failed."

"Prompt: In the trading channel, owning a ’Mirror of Illusion and Reality’ can protect your personal location information, and allow you to view other’s goods on the shelf. The ’Mirror of Illusion and Reality’ is an essential item for your personal service. You only need to pay 20 Contribution Points to Lie Zhenzi to own it. Restoring the glory of humanity requires everyone’s effort, please don’t be stingy."

"Scanning your current Contribution Points: 14."

"..."

"..."

"Your Contribution Points balance is insufficient, you can acquire Contribution Points through the following three ways: 1. Hunt exotic species, 2. Hunt Evil Spirits, 3. Hunt Demons."

"..."

Xu Shu scratched his head, shifting his gaze away from the trading channel.

He was about to complain about how stingy it was.

But seeing its sincere phrasing and thinking carefully, 20 points didn’t really seem like much.

This is kinda awkward.

"At this point, better go to sleep."

Xu Shu laid down to sleep.

Turning on his side, he continued to browse the web.

It was still early, and I couldn’t sleep without scrolling through the forums.

After scrolling through various "Pioneering Team Formations" and "Ruins Calling for People" for a while, Xu Shu was also contemplating what should be his next priority.

If returning to the city, then it was choosing to explore the ruins.

But if he were to pioneer?

To pioneer means to leave the wasteland, pushing directly out of the "borderline" into the real wilderness to hunt monsters.

Today’s wilderness, vastly different from the Earth Star before the disaster, teemed with many dangerous zones requiring exploration.

Compared to the wasteland, the resources in the wilderness were genuinely "rich."

"If I choose to pioneer, I’m actually not far from the borderline, am I?"

"But with my strength, although it has improved nicely, leaving the borderline, mostly still requires a team. Continuing as a lone ranger isn’t wise; the wilderness monsters are, after all, ganged up."

"Maybe tomorrow I could simulate once, see if there’s a way to survive if I venture out into the wilderness."

Just thinking about it, Xu Shu suddenly came across a recruitment notice that looked familiar.

"D8B3 area, northern coordinates (3,19) small ruins, missing one strong DPS, be quick, if nearby just add me! Yours truly is poor, not covering plane tickets, the ruins are small, others from different areas don’t come." —Pure Sword Heart, Second Order Weapon Master (Comments: 4)