Under normal circumstances, there was no way Luca should have been able to get his hands on something this valuable. But his contributions during the disaster had been witnessed by many.
And his two teachers had played significant roles as well, making it hard to deny him a reward.
Without much hesitation, Ryan agreed to Luca’s request.
“Finally, it’s mine!” Luca’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he gazed at the icy-blue crystal heart in his hands.
After all the effort and the moments where he thought everything might fall apart, he had finally secured the Transcendent material from the Hydra.
[Hydra’s Icy Heart: Superclass material. The energy core that holds the Hydra’s mastery over ice. Can be used to craft Superclass items with a 100% chance to imbue ice-element skills. Extremely rare and precious.]
Luca clenched his fist. Along with the two other high-tier materials he had obtained earlier, he now had three top-grade materials in his possession, as well as a large stash of mid-tier materials and over 10,000 gold coins.
These resources were more than enough to allow him to begin crafting his first fixed magic runes. All he needed now was to raise his magic rune crafting skill to the required level.
At this moment, Luca’s magic rune crafting skill was already at lv5, but to craft Superclass magic runes, he needed to reach at least lv10.
For ordinary players, such a goal would be incredibly daunting, but Luca had maxed-out aptitude. It wouldn’t take him long to get there.
He carefully stored the Icy Heart in his storage ring, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.
Now that he had what he needed, and with the Hydra’s mirror image slain, it wouldn’t be able to return to the real world for quite some time.
Moreover, the Nightmare Cult, whose faith revolved around the King-level monster, was essentially destroyed, with Jormungandr now reduced to his personal servant.
Luca had also ascended to Silver-grade, gained new equipment, and collected an abundance of crafting materials.
With the Hydra’s material in hand, Luca could finally start working on crafting his first fixed magic rune.
Once this was done.
His next step would be finding the materials for a second fixed rune.
He also needed to wrap up his business with Snowfall Guild. Earning some quick cash would allow him to upgrade to a better gaming pod.
Though the headset was sufficient for casual gaming, Luca required long hours of in-game progression. A gaming pod would not only enhance his experience but also ensure his body remained in good condition during extended gameplay.
As these thoughts swirled in Luca’s mind, a figure suddenly approached him.
Sophia spoke earnestly, “Luca, there’s a banquet at the City Lord’s mansion tomorrow evening. My father hopes you can attend—he has something important to discuss with you.”
Luca was puzzled, unsure of what Ryan wanted to talk about, but he didn’t refuse. Nodding, he replied, “Thank you, Senior. I’ll be there tomorrow night.”
They didn’t engage in further conversation. Although the monster horde had been driven away, there were still many matters in Riverfall City that needed attention, so Sophia quickly left to attend to other tasks.
Luca decided not to stay in the game any longer.
For the past few days, he had been entirely focused on defeating the Hydra, barely getting any proper rest.
Except for eating and bathroom breaks, he had spent nearly all his time in the game.
Now that everything was settled, this was the perfect time to take a proper break and also finish his business with Snowfall Guild to get some cash for upgrading his gaming pod.
Opening the game interface, he logged out, and in an instant, Luca’s in-game figure disappeared.
…
A flash of blue light passed by, and the world around him faded to black.
Luca removed his VR headset and stretched, letting out a deep breath.
It was noon in the real world, and sunlight streamed through his bedroom window.
The curtains fluttered gently in the breeze, particles of dust dancing in the air.
Just as he sat up, preparing to head out for some food, Luca noticed something strange—his body felt lighter.
“Hmm? Am I just hungry?” he wondered, puzzled. Then, a sudden realization hit him.
Excited, Luca rummaged through his cabinet and found a pair of dumbbells he had barely used in months.
He lifted one and was shocked to find that the heavy weights, several kilograms each, now felt like nothing in his hands.
“It’s just as I thought!” Luca’s eyes sparkled with joy. His physical abilities had been enhanced!
He remembered from his previous life that the game’s first feedback into reality usually happened about two weeks after the game launched, but this time it had happened much sooner.
“Could this be related to how quickly I’ve been leveling up?” Luca speculated. The major difference between this life and his previous one was how fast his strength had grown.
Perhaps that rapid growth was the reason why he had received the game’s feedback into reality so early.
Luca suddenly realized another issue.
Since the game had started to provide feedback to the real world, did that mean monsters might have begun appearing too?
It was highly possible, because in his previous life, the game’s feedback and the monsters’ arrival had happened almost simultaneously.
With that thought, the excitement in Luca’s heart dimmed considerably.
“I really need to strengthen my abilities as soon as possible,” he thought, glancing out at the serene blue sky and white clouds outside his window.
However, compared to his earlier anxiety, Luca now felt more at ease.
With his SSS-level talent, “The Person Favored”, his growth would be incredibly fast.
On top of that, he had obtained many valuable items, equipment, and a hefty amount of gold.
Once he properly utilized these resources, his power would skyrocket again.
Even if monsters had indeed descended into the real world, as long as they weren’t too strong, Luca was confident he could protect himself.
Feeling calmer now.
Luca checked his phone and noticed that his bank balance had increased by over a million.
Snowfall Guild had moved quickly.
Not even ten minutes had passed since their last transaction, and the money had already been transferred.
A smile crept across Luca’s face. He appreciated dealing with clients who paid promptly and generously.
He immediately called the contact Ada had provided earlier.
After a couple of rings, a soft, elegant voice answered.
“Who is this?” Ada asked, sounding curious.
Luca didn’t waste time. “It’s Luca. I’ve received the money. I’ve got a few more items I’m willing to sell. If you’re interested, it’ll be 3 million for the lot, including a Silver-grade staff.”
The reason Luca hadn’t sold all his equipment in their first transaction was that he wanted to gauge Snowfall Guild’s sincerity. Now that they had proven themselves, he was ready to offload everything.
There was a brief pause, and then Ada’s breathing grew noticeably faster.
“We’ll take it! We’ll take everything you’ve got!” she said, her voice filled with excitement. “I’ll have the money transferred to you immediately!”
It wasn’t surprising that Ada was so enthusiastic. Silver-grade equipment was incredibly rare.
So far, very few players in Eternal Game were known to possess Silver-grade items—let alone a staff. And that particular weapon was perfect for Ada.
Priests, by nature, leveled more slowly than combat-oriented classes.
With this staff, she could overcome that disadvantage significantly.
Luca could hear the rapid tapping of high heels on the floor from Ada’s side of the call.
It likely her rushing to give instructions.
Within minutes, Luca’s phone buzzed with a new message.
“Your bank account 4562*6 has been credited with 3,000,000 DOLLAR. Current balance: 4,504,394 DOLLAR.
Luca glanced at the notification, smiled, and then put his phone aside.
Now, this money still had some value, but Luca knew it wouldn’t be long before in-game gold would completely replace real-world currency, reducing these sums to meaningless digits. So, he didn’t dwell on it too much.
“Find me in the game when I log back in,” Luca said casually before hanging up the phone.
He had just exited the game and wasn’t in the mood to jump back in just to handle this minor business.
On the other side of the call, Ada blinked in surprise, staring at the phone for a long moment.
In the past, she was always the one hanging up on men—never had a man hung up on her first.
She couldn’t help but let out a soft, bemused chuckle. For a moment, she even questioned her own charm.
“What a strange man…” she muttered.
After ending the call.
Luca opened the Zenith Technology Company website and found the section for purchasing gaming pods.
After browsing through the options, he bit the bullet and chose the top-tier S17 gaming pod, priced at 1.58 million DOLLAR, paying a 500,000 DOLLAR deposit upfront.
Since he was making the purchase, he figured it was best to go all out from the start—no point in upgrading later and wasting more money.
Shortly after the payment went through, he received a respectful call from the Celephais game developers.
It turned out they had an S17 gaming pod in stock and invited him to check it out. Once he confirmed and paid the remaining balance, they could have it delivered and installed the same day.
This suited Luca perfectly, so he agreed without hesitation.
Next, he searched for a real estate company through Celephais.
He set up an appointment to view properties and planned to place a down payment on a house.
Staying with his parents had its limitations, and many things would be more convenient with his own place.
Besides, Luca also needed a workshop and a storage facility for future use—whether for storing materials or modifying weapons.
Better to prepare in advance. With his current ability to earn money, affording these things wasn’t a concern.
As Luca contemplated these plans.
The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, making his stomach rumble loudly.
Sini must have finished cooking.
He put his phone down on the table and shouted, “Mom, I’m starving! Give me an extra serving of rice!”
From the kitchen came Sini’s exasperated voice. “All you do is play games and eat! What are you going to do when you get married one day…” She continued muttering about her son’s future, even worrying aloud about his marriage prospects.
But despite the scolding, she quickly brought out a hearty meal for her “precious baby boy.”
Luca was long accustomed to his mother’s nagging.
He laughed and nodded as he spooned some savory gravy over his rice and dug in.
After a few quick bites, he mumbled through a mouthful, “Where’s Dad? I haven’t seen him around the last few days.”
His father, Donald, was a taxi driver and usually ate at home.
But for the past couple of days, Luca had logged out of the game several times for meals and hadn’t seen him once.
Sini turned on the TV and responded absentmindedly, “He’s been working overtime lately. Not eating at home.”
Luca didn’t press the issue.
With school starting soon, his father was likely trying to earn some extra money to help cover expenses.
Little did his parents know, their son had already become a millionaire.