Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Energy Rawstone

“Can I owe it for now?”

Ling Mo lay on the couch. It was meant as a hopeless complaint, but to her surprise, the System responded.

“You can.”

Hearing that familiar mechanical voice, Ling Mo sprang upright. “You’re not planning to charge me some insane interest, are you?”

If that was the case, forget it. Interest on interest could ruin families.

If the System really planned to gouge her, she’d rather grind and sell goods the honest way.

Just like this time: as long as her items were rare enough, buyers would always show up. She could even buy food. Ten thousand coins wasn’t impossible.

The System fell silent for a moment, then replied, “No interest.”

“That generous?” Ling Mo narrowed her eyes. She didn’t believe in free lunches, even if the System used to claim this was a support game.

But ever since the second game round ended and the third was announced with higher difficulty, Ling Mo had noticed something: the word “support” was gone.

The System went quiet again, as if choosing its words carefully. “As the first player to successfully awaken, you naturally have certain privileges.”

Ling Mo understood the idea—like being the first to unlock an achievement and getting announced to the whole server.

Still, she couldn’t shake the unease.

She didn’t remember seeing Blessing Gem in the System Shop before, which meant it had appeared recently.

And given what Blessing Gem did, it felt tailor-made for her.

Put together, it looked a lot like a trap.

“I’ll pass,” Ling Mo said. “I don’t like owing money.”

She stood up, ready to wash up and begin meditating.

“Wait,” the System said.

Its voice sounded noticeably more urgent this time.

“I can cut it to one percent of the original price, but you must agree to one condition.”

“What condition? Say it first.”

“The third game will take place in Mo Ka Primeval Forest on Mo Ka Star. You must find ten energy rawstone for me.”

“What is energy rawstone?” Ling Mo asked.

“You don’t need to know. Just find ten energy rawstone and hand them over.”

“How do you know I can?” Ling Mo said. “I don’t even know what it is. What if I can’t find it? And ten is too many. Three.”

This time, the System stayed silent much longer.

“Energy rawstone is a thumb-sized stone that only exists underground. It gives off a special vibration, and only someone with awakened mental power can sense it. And finally, the System does not accept bargaining.”

“Fine.” Ling Mo shrugged. “One last question—what if I don’t find ten energy rawstone?”

“You will pay the difference based on how many you collect. No interest.”

Satisfied, Ling Mo nodded. “I’ll take the task. But tell me more about Mo Ka Primeval Forest. It’ll help me finish faster. You know I’m right.”

“Mo Ka Primeval Forest lies on an undeveloped planet. Forest covers fifty percent of the world and it is known as a treasure vault of primeval jungle, filled with strange plants and animals.”

“Then what’s our mission?” Ling Mo asked. The first two times they entered the game, there were missions—one each day. If the difficulty was increasing, the missions would definitely get harder too.

“In three days, when the game begins, you will know.”

With that, the System fell silent. No matter how Ling Mo called, it didn’t respond.

She wasn’t discouraged. At least she now knew the next game would start in three days.

Ling Mo opened the System Shop again. She’d meant to buy Blessing Gem, but what she saw nearly made her freeze.

She’d thought the one-percent pricing was only for Blessing Gem. She hadn’t expected it to apply to the entire shop.

And she’d almost haggled.

Before, three hundred coins couldn’t buy much. Now, it was a different world.

It felt like three hundred suddenly becoming three million.

She bought Blessing Gem first. Then her gaze snagged on another item—a weapon called Thousand-Feather Bow.

Like Blessing Gem, it could only be used by someone with awakened mental power. It formed arrows using mental power. The stronger your mental power, the more terrifying the arrows—killing without being seen.

Thousand-Feather Bow now cost two hundred coins, which meant its original price was twenty thousand.

Ling Mo bought it without hesitation.

The moment the purchase went through, the shop’s prices snapped back to normal.

Ling Mo patted her chest. “So close. There was a time limit.”

She’d nearly missed it.

What she didn’t know was that a glowing orb was currently bouncing around inside the System’s pocket space.

It was only a momentary mistake, but it had let Thousand-Feather Bow end up in her hands. That bow had been prepared as bait—no, a gift—for someone else.

Meanwhile, Ling Mo hung Blessing Gem around her neck and pulled out Thousand-Feather Bow.

The bow in her hands looked like a child’s toy. It was nothing like the imposing weapon in the picture.

After sensing it carefully, she quickly understood why.

She was too weak. She couldn’t even form a single arrow.

To truly use Thousand-Feather Bow, a mental power user needed at least level 3.

With a helpless sigh, Ling Mo put it back into her pocket space. Her mental power was only level 1. Level 3 was still a long road away.

For now, the bow could only sit there as decoration.

Then a thought struck her.

If the System was going to give her information, she might as well make money from it.

Ling Mo took out her computer and printer, printed the details about Mo Ka Primeval Forest, and listed them for one gram of gold.

She added a note beneath the listing: not everyone’s instance was the same. If you bought it and didn’t end up entering this particular game, that wasn’t her problem.

Even so, buyers came in a steady stream.

Before long, a glittering pile of golden beans had stacked up in front of her.