Liu Yang—or Zhang Rui, at this point—had returned to his trial chamber after Bai Lian ended the private stream.
His back ached as he stretched, bones popping loudly.
He turned toward the lakeside view. The coins he had earned from killing all twenty-five Iron-Scaled Carp, the ankle chain he noticed was no longer on him, and the rest of the quest reward bags sat scattered on the bridge. He walked over to the pile of loot.
Kneeling down, he opened one of the bags.
[20 Lower Essence]
A blue panel appeared as soon as he untied the string at the top. Ding. A sound rang in his ears.
[Lower Essence description and uses: blue coins containing five units of pure essence; can be traded and used as currency within the tower.]
The tower notified him of the currency's uses, but his eyes didn't linger on it for long.
"That was fun," he murmured, his shirt and pants disheveled. "Who would have thought I'd secure my first pawn so soon?" He smirked, recalling the instructions he had left Bai Lian with.
—
A few minutes ago.
The stars twinkled beyond the final level of the private stream tab—a floating cube with sides made of see-through crystal that housed the two half-dressed, newly formed lovers.
"By the way," Zhang Rui said, leaning back in his chair, "I didn't get to ask you this earlier—but what Dao Seed did you get after clearing the tower's first trial?"
Bai Lian rested her chin on her knees. "A Grade III Talisman Painting Dao Seed," she replied. "I digested the seed and formed a mental image of it, but I can't use it without paint."
Zhang Rui thought for a moment. So it's still the same as in the draft, he mused.
"Have you figured out how to order food from the next trial's waiting pavilion?" he asked.
"Yes," Bai Lian nodded. "There's an icon in front of your seat. When you press it, you can type in any kind of food, as long as it's edible. It's free—only limited by survival portions."
"Good," he said. "Then that's where you'll get your paint."
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
Zhang Rui grinned. "Order a bowl of balut—that's the egg dish with a half-grown bird inside. Then get a thick broth—something with a strong, dark color that can stain clothing—a sauce or two, and a bowl of rice. Use the chopsticks you got from ordering the rice, pluck enough feathers from the chick inside the egg, and tie them together using strips of cloth from the table rags. That'll give you a brush when added with the chopsticks. The broth and sauces will work as your paint."
Bai Lian stared at him for a long, silent moment, clearly unsure if he was serious. Her brows pulled together. "You want me to… pluck feathers from a half-grown bird and use soup as paint?" Her lips twitched. "Are you insane?"
Zhang Rui shrugged casually. "Resourcefulness is the foundation of growth. You said you can't use your Dao Seed without paint. Now you can."
She folded her arms, still doubtful. "But will something like that even work?"
"Only one way to find out," he said. "Try."
Her violet eyes lingered on him—hesitant, but not refusing. Finally, she let out a quiet breath and nodded. "Fine. I'll… give it a try."
"Good," he said, leaning forward slightly. "After that, order rice paper and start drawing talismans. Healing wards first, then anything else you can think of. Test your success rate and send me a few—I'll open my broadcast so you can transfer them."
"All right," she nodded. "I can do that."
"Don't overthink it," he added. "Just keep producing. Even low-grade talismans will be fine."
She gave a small smile—soft and shy, but real. "Okay… I'll contact you later then."
They both stood as the connection began to fade, their forms dissolving back into motes of starlight. Just before the last of her image vanished, she looked at him again—eyes warm, cheeks tinted pink.
"See you soon… husband," she whispered bashfully.
Then she was gone.
...
Zhang Rui set the bag of Lower Essence to the side and reached for the next one—the bag of 25 Kill Essence Coins.
The moment he untied it, a prompt appeared:
[Dark red coins containing the essence of monsters within the tower. A treasure that can be used to enhance chosen stats more efficiently, granting boosts in endurance, strength, agility, etc. Can also be used as a substitute for Lower Essence Coins to recharge pure essence and can mend, upgrade, or fortify a player's weapons.
He nodded slightly, eyes scanning the coins. One by one, he added the scattered essence coins littered across the floor to the bag, counting carefully. Forty-two in total.
Satisfied, he then sorted the fifty ruby blood coins, placing them into the Lower Essence bag. Keeping them separate from the Kill Essence made them easier to locate later, especially amidst the blue coins already filling the bag.
Zhang Rui adjusted the weight in his hands, the bags now neatly organized, and allowed himself a faint smirk. Everything was in order—and easier to manage than he had expected.
Now what should I do here? He looked at the ankle chain, arrow racks, and the bow in his hand. The door should be opened now since the other part of my quest rewards was automatic clearance.
Should I leave and see who is on the other side. He rubbed his chin, then swept around the place one more time. "Why don't I prepare myself a bit?" he thought, his eyes drifting over to the bloodied water and the scales that floated above it. "Let's make you babies a bit more dangerous."
He said, looking up at the padded arrows along different vantage points, his finger reaching into the kill essence pouch. Then he flipped one coin and caught it back in his hands.
Zhang Rui set his quiver and bow on the floor next to his bags, freeing himself from the weight. He tugged off his shirt, revealing pale skin mottled from exertion, then leapt over the railing and plunged into the water below.
The chill hit him instantly, but he ignored it, using the plunge to fish out the Iron-Scaled Carp scales scattered in the shallow ripples. Dozens floated in the water, glinting silver in the light. With a practiced hand, he gathered a sufficient number before hauling himself back over the railing.
Settling on the bridge, he began working on the arrows. Carefully, he removed the cloth wrappings around the tips, the pale dust spilling slightly onto the wooden planks. One by one, he affixed the scales to the ends, shaping them into solid, lethal arrowheads. The scales were notched and threaded properly, and the wood hardened under his attention, transforming simple arrows into formidable tools.
There were dozens of arrow racks along the bridge, but his quiver could only hold thirty. He focused on making thirty perfect arrows. As he slid a Kill Essence Coin into one, a notification popped up:
[Essence Infusion Complete]
Item: Novice Arrow
Infused: 1x Kill Essence Coin
Result: +3 Endurance: +1 Damage
Current Bonus: +3 Endurance, +1 Damage
One by one, he repeated the process, each arrow absorbing the essence and gaining subtle changes: the wooden shafts stiffened, the scale tips sharpened and threaded with precision, and a faint reddish glow traced along the edges where the essence had fused with the material. By the time he finished, thirty arrows gleamed before him—each a perfect fusion of craftsmanship and tower magic.
Zhang Rui selected two more coins, then one of the newly crafted arrows—that had his bamboo slip wrapped around it—and nocked it onto his bow. He focused, channeling the Kill Essence within the bow, and felt the handle respond under his hands. Notifications blinked into view:
[Essence Infusion Complete]
Item: Tutorial Bow
Infused: 2x Kill Essence Coins
Result: +5 Endurance, +2 Flexibility, +3 Damage
Current Bonus: +5 Endurance, +2 Flexibility, +3 Damage
The wood of the bow seemed to hum softly, strengthened and tempered. Its limbs flexed with greater resilience, the string taut but forgiving. He drew it back experimentally, feeling the enhanced tension and the arrow settling perfectly along the notched shaft.
Satisfied, he lowered the bow and looked out at the water.
The Iron-Scaled Carp scales glimmered faintly, teasing him with their promise of more materials—and perhaps, more power to infuse.