Chapter 37: Chapter 32 Sudden Wealth
“It seems value grants the eligibility to be used…”
After leaving the Starshine Recycling Station, Tao Yu felt like he was back in the ‘Black House.’
It’s not the use that scares people, but rather the fear of being worthless to others.
Was Liu Hong, the store manager, fond of him at first sight?
No, it was that he was optimistic about Tao Yu’s potential, a kind of expectation and confidence.
Fifteen thousand units of Yuan Force!
That was the current amount of Yuan Force Tao Yu possessed.
A set of skills cost five thousand, but the bulk of it was from that Blood Orchid which sold for over twenty times its price!
When Tao Yu presented the Blood Orchid, he could clearly perceive the other party’s breath become hurried.
In the end, he could produce ten thousand Yuan Force, not just from the Blood Orchid itself, but also with the inclusion of intelligence about the general environment where the flower grew.
In fact, Tao Yu knew even more about the Blood Orchid, such as the fact that it blooms only once every few years or so.
But he didn’t give an answer beyond what seemed within his proper knowledge.
Perhaps more detailed intelligence could also be sold, but what’s the use of money if you’re dead…
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Such matters weren’t for Tao Yu to concern himself with at the moment; what he needed now were resources and time to grow.
Even casually releasing some simple information about the Blood Orchid was actually something Tao Yu had intended to do all along.
After all, Li Le had also obtained the Blood Orchid—if he were to collude with some heavy hitter to take long-term control of that canyon, then Tao Yu, who shared the same knowledge and secrets, would become an obstacle.
If that was the case, it was better to just sell that information as a freebie along with the deal.
No matter how high the price or profit, he couldn’t guard it just yet.
Fifteen thousand was stretching it as is.
“You still need strength.”
About eating dozens of Blood Orchids, Tao Yu had no regrets.
Five was no big deal, but trotting out fifty, whether he could leave there alive would be in question.
Store Manager Liu Hong might seem amiable and keen on peaceful profit-making, but Tao Yu had no means to probe his humanity. In fact, Tao Yu openly expressed his fear of being coveted, consuming most of the flowers himself to emphasize safety first.
With fifteen thousand units of Yuan Force, Tao Yu had never been so wealthy, not even his entire family combined had ever seen that much money.
His first expenditure was just over three hundred units of Yuan Force to finish completing his nearly-formed second Alien skill.
In an instant, as the Yuan Force flowed away, Tao Yu could feel a slight adjustment in the contour of his muscles, a tingling sensation throughout his body as if being shocked, apparently adapting to the skill and passively enhancing it a bit.
[Ambush – Alien]: Attacks unaware enemies at their most vulnerable, increasing striking power.
An excellent skill, it boosts neural response during an ambush, creating a predatory instinct that allows for a reflexive attack without even thinking, which is, comparatively speaking, much better than the skills of the Python.
Without hesitation, he spent about two hundred units of Yuan Force, even more expensive than the Breathing Technique, and poured it directly into Deification.
[Ambush – Modified]: Walk with the shadows, and your first close-range attack upon emerging can gather all the Shadow Force accumulated during stealth.
What a deal, directly linking up with both of his stealth skills!
Because it was a direct mental injection, Tao Yu instantly grasped the essence of this skill.
Both of his stealth skills allowed him to slip into shadows, and they could even stack. Before, the mental strength consumed to maintain stealth and the physical energy expended for high-speed movement during stalking were just that—consumed.
But now, his expenditures would transform into an increasingly accumulating ‘Shadow Force.’ The longer he remained undetected and the further he ran, the more Shadow Force he would gather, all of which would be unleashed with his first strike!
This was outstanding—rare was the chance for Tao Yu to enhance his explosive power without causing harm to himself in return.
“What a shame it’s only for close combat—if it could be added to bullets, that’d be even better.”
Although Tao Yu was delighted, he still had the thought of wanting more. Perhaps the next enhancement would allow it?
With more than ten thousand units of Yuan Force, once Tao Yu saved a bit more, he would be able to afford a second Deification of the relatively less expensive “Basic Combat – Modified”.
However, Tao Yu did not consider it for the time being.
His body’s potential had not yet been fully developed; much remained to be utilized from the enhancements provided by a wealth of Blood Orchids and the improvements from Deifying his breathing technique.
Considering the expenditure of a second Deification, its cost-effectiveness was clearly lacking.
“First I’ll learn all the free and half-price skills, then pour everything into improving my proficiency, striving to boost my overall strength before entering the Abyss again,” he reasoned.
Fifteen thousand units of Yuan Force seemed like a lot, but when it came time to use it, it might still not be enough to fully tap into his existing potential.
This was a staggering amount that his parents could save up only if they lived without any expenses for five years, or for at least fifteen years with daily necessities counted in.
Suppressing some of the excitement in his heart, Tao Yu also began to head towards Wanliu Dojo, the only training hall in Hunter’s Fort, along the lively, crowded streets.
Listening to the vendors’ calls and scents of ‘living essence’ emanating from the passersby, Tao Yu walked briskly.
He arrived at the largest courtyard in the fortress.
While the exterior of the fortress was merely assembled with discarded oil barrels and wire fences, this courtyard was extravagantly enclosed with uniform stone blocks.
From outside, one could faintly hear the rhythmic shouts of “Heave!” echoing from within, indicating the trainees had already begun their exercises.
Wanliu Dojo was the only training establishment in Hunter’s Fort and ranked among the top outside the city.
The martial essence of their Five Gate Boxing Techniques, Tiger, Crane, Python, Bear, Ape, each cost as much as five thousand, and that didn’t include eventual mastery.
The establishment taught a variety of other skills including firearms, Basic Combat, bladed weapons, Basic Breathing Method, footwork, climbing, and many others.
Individual techniques like “Burst”, highlighting specific explosive movements, were also available.
The prices varied widely.
But even the cheapest cost eight hundred units of Yuan Force.
It was safe to say that any Outsider who could afford to pay for lessons here in one go either had a considerable personal value or came from affluent family conditions.
However, there were also those on a ‘skill loan’.
In the past, as long as one had combat talent, they could ‘borrow skills’ here, with an annualized interest rate of thirteen returned on nine borrowed, accrued interest compounded over installment periods.
Even among Outsiders, this was considered a reasonable rate.
For the Dojo, if a student were to die during an Abyss mission and couldn’t pay back the loan, they’d only lose a bit of teaching effort, a loss they could easily absorb.
This strategy greatly expanded the target demographic able to afford the services.
Those already possessing combat talent were highly likely to be gathered in the company districts, where survival rates were much higher compared to the initial Awakening. Individuals with combat talent were also more likely to possess the capacity to repay the debt, making it a no-lose situation for the dojo.
Similarly, some people from less affluent backgrounds, who urgently needed certain foundational skills, would also opt for a loan to navigate through the difficult initial stages.
The dojo’s registration area was located outside of the walls, entirely outdoors.
It was just a sign that read “Registration”, hanging near an old wooden desk, behind which sat a young person dressed in a gray dojo uniform.
Compared to the relative quiet when Tao Yu passed by before, he noticed the area now had a queue.
And glancing over, he recognized quite a few faces.
Several were survivors from the recent event, faces that Tao Yu, with his Dynamic Vision, had scanned and not easily forgotten.
“Everyone’s here for a free ride, huh? But I get it, a learning fee of five thousand must be the high-end rate in the Outsider regions,” Tao Yu pondered. Whether it was for the half-price deals, skill loans, or the free skill slots, if used on the most expensive skills, it seemed perfectly sensible.
Isn’t that what I’ve been thinking too?
But looking at the constipated expression on the face of the young person managing the registration desk, Tao Yu understood that Wanliu Dojo itself was probably not so willing.
It was possible that they were being pressured to teach at low rates or even for free by the company…