Dark Moon Era

Resistance was futile. All Tang Ling could do was figure out what the punishment was.

Unfortunately, Kun did not even spare him the chance. He curled his hand and the Dream Coins disintegrated into smaller light particles before disappearing.

Then, he waved his hand. The endless rows of cabinets behind him started to move. Several drawers jiggled open and a few items flew to him.

All these happened so quickly that Tang Ling failed to count how many drawers were opened even if he extended his neck all the way up.

As for how many items flew out, Kun covered all of them on the counter, preventing Tang Ling from having a clearer look.

“These are what the Mysterious Store has to offer for trade.” Kun waved again and the obscured items flew towards Tang Ling.

Failing to get a clear look at the items, Tang Ling said in dissatisfaction, “Hey! I didn’t even get to choose!”

“This is your punishment. Get it? Your right to choose is taken away,” Kun replied righteously.

“Okay, even if you take away my right to choose, you can’t take away my right to know. How can you simply throw things to me? What if one item is worth 10 Dream Coins? Dream Coins are precious! Moreover, just now when you gave me a bacteria control potion, you took 5 of my Dream Coins. I heavily suspect the Mysterious Store is cheating its customers!” Tang Ling’s voice gradually grew softer because he saw a smile on Kun’s face.

As a matter of fact, Tang Ling was not afraid of being scammed. Still, he could not help but negotiate. Who knew when the next dream would start? Who knew how many Dream Coins he could earn the next time? He might not even get the right to enter the store another time.

Besides, the kind uncle, Liu He, might not appear just to deliver a Dream Coin to him.

Of course, Tang Ling wanted to maximize his gains. He knew how much help a piece of Level 3 vicious beast meat provided him.

“Hmph, hmph.” Kun chuckled, glancing askance at Tang Ling. “Dream Coins are precious to you but to me?”

As he spoke, he swirled his fair, long fingers, and when he opened his palm, countless Dream Coins suddenly appeared and twinkled around his hand, forming a beautiful shining belt like the Milky Way. The show disappeared after a few seconds.

Tang Ling gulped nervously.

Kun waved again, and a tube of colorless glistening liquid appeared in his hand.

“Since you practically rolled around the Green Fungus Queen’s chamber, you are infected with a lethal and highly infectious green fungus that’s classified with a Level 2 galactic infectious transmissibility. Do you think back at your place, those so-called ‘bacteria control potions’ would be effective? Even if they gave you the highest purity potion, it might only suppress the virus for a bit. And if they had to save you at all costs and bring out all the highest purity bacteria control potions...Let me see...with two tubes a day, you can recover your mobility in three months. Half a year later, your body will be cleared of the green fungus.

“Oh, I forgot. There is another quicker way to clear the green fungus in your body, but it’s a little painful. Do you want to try?” The sneer on Kun’s smile was getting more and more obvious.

Tang Ling shook his head strongly. He would never want the second option since he used it before back in the Dream Domain. Indeed, it was quick and straightforward, but he had to burn it.

“Hmm.” Kun then held the transparent tube in his hand. “This is a Mysterious Store exclusive, a Type 1 Regenerative Serum. It clears the funguses and regenerates your consciousness. It’s priced honestly at 8 Dream Coins.

“If you aren’t satisfied with it, I can return 5 Dream Coins to you. Then, I’ll extract the regenerative serum from your body, plant more mushrooms inside, and you can go back to your place and recover.”

“No.” Tang Ling was very serious and stern when he answered that. He spat the word out strongly and said, “Lord Kun, you are beautiful and elegant whilst your unrivaled bearing is dazzling. I will never lose anything dealing with you, and this place is my biggest motivation to enter the dream just so I can see you, Lord Kun.”

“Shut up.” Kun’s patience was worn out and he seemed like he wanted to shoo Tang Ling away.

Tang Ling would not let Kun shoo him away! He still had not gotten a clearer look at the items he had given him.

As for the serum, it was a little something extra, so Tang Ling was pleased about it, but would Kun deal in a losing transaction? He would not. He had probably injected 5 Dream Coins worth of Type 1 Regenerative Serum in Tang Ling and kept the rest.

With the thought in mind, Tang Ling finally got to count what Kun gave him. It was a blue book named ‘Thousand Satin Skill: Addendum’.

What’s this? Tang Ling had a bad feeling just by looking at the name of the manual. He flipped through it with a dismal look.

As expected, it was not a complete manual but just an addendum for a set of martial art skills named ‘Thousand Satin Skill’. All the book had were additional descriptions and minor changes.

“This?!” Tang Ling gulped nervously. Aside from not having any idea what this Thousand Satin Skill was about, even if he did, where would find the rest of the manual?

On top of all that, was the Thousand Satin Skill even useful? What kind of martial art technique was it? He had no idea at all.

Lastly, he knew that he was about to start the official cultivation class. Now that he had gotten his hands on a strange manual, which name sounded a lot like the ancient martial art manuals of Huaxia, the Thousand Satin Skill, he would not have time to cultivate this strange set of skills at the same time.

Modern mixed martial arts was a combination of anaerobic and aerobic exercises to increase the internal vitality of the body and Tang Ling had adapted that way of training. Cultivation by meditation was all nonsense in his opinion.

This addendum was a wasted item. His Dream Coins had been taken away and he could not find a use for this manual. However, due to how stern Kun was, Tang Ling dared not say anything.

Then, Tang Ling picked up the next thing he got. It was a...a...lump of wood the size of a seed. What was that? He did not even feel its weight in his hand.

Tang Ling sized the lump of wood up and scanned it repeatedly. He even used his Precise Instinct but failed to find out what it was.

Then, was it edible? Was it something made of nuts?

Tang Ling tried to put it into his mouth, but when Kun saw the scene, the casual expression on his face was replaced by disgust and furrowed brows. He stopped Tang Ling. “It’s not food.”

“Then, what is this?” Tang Ling raised a brow.

“It’s a seed,” Kun said.

“What!?” Tang Ling was a little moved. He immediately thought of ‘it’ in his heart and started to relate to its origin. Did his seed come from the Mysterious Store? If it was, was the person who gifted the seed to him a Dream Seed?

Tang Ling had a feeling that things were starting to get complicated. Besides, he already had a seed in him, so what use would it be taking another? Was it a hint for him to become a farmer in the future?

As though Kun saw through Tang Ling’s thoughts, he answered straightforwardly, “This is not as interesting as your seed. It’s not comparable at all.”

Tang Ling was shocked. Since Kun addressed ‘it’ as a seed, did he know about ‘it’ being a seed of transformation?

Suddenly, he felt invaded as if someone was peeking at him in the shower, but he dared not speak his mind.

Of course, Kun did not know Tang Ling’s dirty thoughts. If he did, Tang Ling might never be allowed entry into the Mysterious Store again for the rest of his life.

Kun continued his explanation, “This is a one-time consumable seed. You can plant it in your body during a critical moment, and I mean any part of your body. It will become a once-off energy storage seed. When enough energy is stored, it can release it a single energy burst. Am I being clear enough?”

Very clear, but...why would I want a seed? Tang Ling gripped the seed hard as he simmered in his own thoughts.

He was a huge consumer of energy. He already found it difficult to keep himself and the seed in his heart full, so where would he get the extra energy from to fuel this new seed? Okay, even if he somehow managed to store its energy in the seed and trigger an explosive energy burst, it was just a once-off use.

He might not have a use for it now, but he had to admit it that the seed was a beneficial thing.

With that thought in mind, Tang Ling looked up with a question, “Then, how much energy can it store?”

It was the main problem he had about the seed. If its storage was limited, then it would be a lot more useless. Tang Ling might even take back his comment about the seed being useful.

“You still don’t have a clear concept of energy yet. Let me explain it in your words. Its limit is equivalent to 20 of your current self.”

Tang Ling panted heavily. 20 of himself? 20 of his freaking self?! How much would that be?

Would it equal to the energy level of a Purple Moon Warrior? Unfortunately, Tang Ling had no idea about the energy standard of a Purple Moon Warrior. Still, if he was 20 times stronger than his current self, would he even be weaker than a Purple Moon Warrior?

“I have a...condition,” Tang Ling started to mutter.

“It won’t be affected. Your seed’s current stage is only an amplifier. It amplifies your own abilities and it surely can magnify a stronger version of yourself,” Kun replied as though a hundred Tang Lings were still a joke to him.

However, Tang Ling was overjoyed. A killing machine! It was a powerful killing machine! If he put himself in some extreme situation and used this seed together with the one in his heart, how much more powerful would he be?

He already had an idea of sneaking into the battlefield to kill a Level 3 or even a Level 4 vicious beast. The thought that lingered in his mind made him so excited that his hands were shaking.

“This is just a low-level war seed. Don’t expect it to be powerful. In your current stage, you haven’t even touched the surface of the basic principles. It’s useless against the Principle Domain, but it’s enough to bully low-level beings.” Kun puckered his lips and looked askance at Tang Ling as if he was looking at some clodhopper. He said, “Don’t forget you need to charge it with energy.”

Principle? Tang Ling scratched his head. He immediately thought of Anthony and his Night Lightning. From there, he thought of the black lines from the castellan’s lance.

As I expected, there are still many things in this world that I don’t understand.

On top of that, energy storage proved to be a problem, but it did not affect his mood. He carefully put the low-level war seed into his pocket as if he was Scrooge keeping his money.

A person like Kun would never deal in a losing transaction, and the war seed should not be that expensive. Tang Ling decided to exchange a few more in the future when he had enough Dream Coins despite that the war seed being a low-level item.

He was very meticulous with his calculations and plans, so he smiled and continued to the next item.

This third item was a little strange and was stored in a transparent box. It was the size of a nail. It was crystal clear and transparent, but upon a closer look, it seemed like there was smoke swirling inside.

Tang Ling sized it up for a while and still failed to figure out what this item was.

Why not open the little transparent box and get a closer look? He acted immediately right after the thought popped into his mind, but Kun stopped him yet again.

“If you want to be frozen immediately, you can open it.”

“What do you mean?” Tang Ling was petrified. Frozen? He was still a little blur about the term.

“This little drop of liquid is modified by the Mysterious Store by adding something extra in it. It is Sheer Cold Liquid. When you open the box, it will spread and create a small area at absolute zero temperature.” Kun was patient with the explanation. Since Tang Ling asked, he answered although he was trying to shoo Tang Ling away earlier.

“How wide is the range?” Tang Ling was a little unsure about the concept of absolute zero temperature. In the words of the old civilization, it was theoretically the lowest temperature achievable by thermodynamics, -273.15°C.

However, it was just a theory back in the old civilization but was now a reality in the Mysterious Store? Of course, Tang Ling believed that the Mysterious Store had the capability to make it a reality.

“A killing weapon! Another powerful killing weapon! This is a lot better than the explosives of the old civilization, isn’t it?” Tang Ling was very excited since the Mysterious Store was able to surprise him. He started to imagine the freezing scene after he opened the box and tossed it at his enemy.

A very faint sorrow flashed over Kun’s eyes when he saw Tang Ling’s grin.

However, Tang Ling did not notice the microexpression on Kun’s face. All he heard was, “Stop imagining things. The small area is really a small area. It only freezes the range as wide as a palm.

“The correct way to use it is to pour it into a bucket of water according to the ratio of 1:1. The transparent shell will melt away and it will create a small frozen space that can last for a hundred years. It might not be absolute zero, but it can reach -196°C.”

-196°C? Tang Ling had a weird feeling in his heart, but he could not pinpoint what caused it.

It was only useful in a bucket of water? And he must wait for the shell to melt away? How slow would that be?

Tang Ling suppressed the weird feeling in his heart and asked again, “Then, if used correctly, how big of a frozen area can it create?”

“Around...I think around the size of a single bed?” It was the first time Kun provided a vague answer.

“What use do I have for this?” Tang Ling was confused, but it was definitely a useful item. The items that came out from the Mysterious Store were always useful in some way.

“Hmm, the last one is good wood core. Why is it called good wood core? Because it’s really a very good ingredient. Whenever you get your hands on vicious beast meat and cook it, put a cut of good wood core into your cooking in the ratio of 100:1. The good wood core will produce special chemical properties that can tune down the energy in the vicious beast meat and increase your absorption rate of the meat by 10% or more.” It was rare for Kun to explain the next item before Tang Ling even asked him.

Tang Ling had picked up the slice of good wood core that looked a lot like the sugar cane from the old civilization. He put a little in his mouth because he wanted to know if there was any effect by eating it alone.

Even a person as calm as Kun twitched when he saw what Tang Ling did. Veins popped up on his forehead. He purposely slowed down and said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you that the good wood core has no effect on its own and it tastes like shit.”

Pui! Cough! Cough! Pui! Tang Ling had started chewing on a small cut of the good wood core. A strong bitter taste spread in his mouth. Although it was not as strong as shit, the bitterness was very challenging.

Tang Ling wanted to spit it out, but whenever he thought about how wasting in this era was a sin, he covered his mouth. He carefully removed the little good wood core with his bite marks printed on it and put it into his pouch.

It was not cooked anyway, so its effects should remain, would they not? He still had some vicious beast meat back at his dorm.

Should I try it after I get back?

Tang Ling understood the meaning of an increased absorption rate by 10% better than anyone. When he first consumed the Level 3 vicious beast meat, Su Yao told him that he had wasted the energy and absorbed only 1% of the total energy.

After that, Su Yao gathered many extra ingredients to cook another round of Level 3 vicious beast meat for him and even taught him the special eating method. Despite all the efforts, Su Yao said he did not absorb a lot either. His Precise Instinct told him the increased effect was only around 20%.

Even after Tang Ling knew about his seed and decided to consume the vicious beast meat together, the absorption rate was never higher than 50%.

The higher level the meat was, the least effective the absorption rate.

Tang Ling thought he would solve this after he started cultivating, but he did not have the thought of increasing the absorption rate to 100% with cultivation.

As the thought lingered, he looked up and pointed at the good wood core. “Then, does it have a limit? Or is it effective against all vicious beast meat?”

“It is effective against all vicious beast meat regardless of level. It can increase the absorption rate by 10 to 15%,” Kun replied certainly.

Tang Ling clutched the good wood core tightly as if he was holding the girl of his dreams even though he did not have one.

I bet girls aren’t as precious as this good wood core!

All the things Kun gave Tang Ling were carefully kept away, except for the addendum which he simply held in his hand.

“Keep it properly or give it back to me.” Kun seemed a little upset, but there was something suppressing his emotions.

“Oh.” Tang Ling pretentiously kept it. He was not going to waste it either. Since he already got the addendum, he would just have to buy the rest of the Thousand Satin Skill with Dream Coins in the future.

“Do you know that all these items I’ve given you are useful to you?” Kun squinted his eyes at Tang Ling.

Useful? Of course, they were useful! Tang Ling never thought that the things from the Mysterious Store were useless!

However, with a second thought, all the things he got this time were a little strange. Other than the good wood core, which could provide immediate effect, the other things were...hmm...he still could not use them at the moment.

Did Kun feel guilty about this deal which was why he tried to emphasize how useful the things were?

Tang Ling showed a sincere smile. “Don’t overthink it. It’s always about giving and taking in doing business. I’m not that calculative.”

“Ho ho!” Kun raised his hand, swinging his sleeve. Tang Ling was blasted out of the Mysterious Store together with the chair.

A single word echoed in his ear while he was tumbling away. ‘Scram!’

Did I say something wrong?

******

The candle lights in the Mysterious Store were dreamy.

In the darkness where the candle lights failed to reach, a figure slowly emerged.

“Kun, you crossed the line a little to far this time.”

“So what?”

“It’s nothing. Although that kid might not know, do you think Ya will be unhappy?”

“Huh? Do you think I care about him?”

“Of course, you don’t, but Ya seems to have found an outstanding Dream Seed too, a very outstanding one.”

“Ho ho!” Kun’s disdainful laughter echoed in the Mysterious Store.