Chapter 54: Only Silence
Dan Heng fell silent. He stared at the glowing harvest resting in his palms. The sheer value of these items far surpassed his first attempt; in fact, calling them priceless would be a severe understatement.
He subconsciously lifted his gaze toward the Express's passenger cabin. Through the thick doors, he could still faintly hear Conductor Pom-Pom's exasperated, high-pitched shouts, accompanied by the chaotic giggling and frantic footsteps of March 7th and Stelle as they fled the scene.
"This... the probability of touching Pom-Pom and obtaining high-value items..." Dan Heng murmured to himself. He repeated his previous theory, his teal eyes flickering with a complex, almost bewildered light.
Cold logic dictated that this was absolutely a coincidence, a mere statistical fluctuation in the grand scheme of probability.
However, the stark, glaring contrast between rigid data and the fiery reality sitting right in front of him felt like two massive torrents violently colliding inside his mind.
That jade bottle of pills. That small pouch of seeds. That ancient, bound manuscript of incantations. The tangible hope they radiated was far too real to ignore.
With a quiet sigh, he took a screenshot of this absurdly abundant harvest and uploaded it to the multiversal chat group, whose collective attention had temporarily derailed thanks to Pom-Pom's ongoing chase.
[Screenshot: Spirit-Nourishing Soul-Cultivating Pill, Mid-Grade Spirit Stone Bag, Ice Heart Technique, Clear Spirit Grass Seeds.jpg]
[Astral Express · Dan Heng]: "This is the result of my second ten-pull. These are all extremely precious items to me. Thank you, Conductor Pom-Pom."
[Image: Pom-Pom making a heart shape with their ears.jpg]
This single message acted like a spark in a powder keg, instantly igniting the chat group all over again!
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "Wow!!! So many shiny stones! That pill sounds absolutely amazing! It's so great that it can help Dan Heng! Wait... did you just say 'Thank you, Conductor Pom-Pom' again?!"
[Zenless Zone Zero · Belle]: "Oh my god! This is even crazier luck than Stelle and March 7th! Congratulations, Dan Heng!"
[Genshin Impact · Zhongli]: "These four items complement one another perfectly. Given the current predicament on the Xianzhou Luofu, they are akin to a timely rain after a long, bitter drought. This is indeed a great fortune."
[Astral Express · Stelle]: "Holy cow! Pills! Spirit grass seeds?! Dan Heng, are you opening a pharmacy behind our backs?! But seriously, it's awesome that this can help the Luofu! It would be even more awesome if Pom-Pom would stop chasing me and March!"
[Astral Express · March 7th]: "That Spirit-Nourishing Pill is for General Jing Yuan and the others, right? That's fantastic!... Pom-Pom, please stop chasing us! We admit we were wrong!"
March 7th and Stelle were already running out of breath, their minds spinning dizzily as they dodged around the plush seating. Pom-Pom, entirely focused on their fluffy vengeance, couldn't see the messages flashing in the chat group.
Indeed, one shouldn't get too complacent. Arrogance usually turned the victor into the punchline.
Back inside the quiet sanctuary of the Astral Express's data bank, Dan Heng watched the flood of responses scroll across the virtual interface. The screen overflowed with genuine surprise and warm congratulations.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the physical sensations grounding him to reality. The smooth, comforting warmth of the jade bottle in his palm. The dense, satisfying weight of the spirit stone bag. The crisp, refreshing coolness radiating from the Ice Heart Technique manual. The faint, vibrant pulse of life contained within the tiny bag of seeds.
In the background, the muffled sounds of chasing and playful screaming gradually faded away into the distance.
The subtle tension that usually hardened his aloof features finally melted away, settling into a look of quiet, unwavering resolve.
Regardless of whether this metaphysics superstition was true or false, the harvest in his hands was real.
His next step was clear: maximize their utility to save his homeland.
And Dan Heng's pragmatic, life-saving stroke of luck completely shattered the group's remaining restraint. It ignited everyone's ultimate passion for the gacha system! The metaphysics had been confirmed! The proof of extreme good luck was right before their eyes!
At that exact moment, back in the Random Play video store on Sixth Street.
The sibling proxies, Wise and Belle, had naturally watched the entire European Emperor Hegemony Contest unfold, witnessing the glorious birth of Pom-Pom's Metaphysics in real-time.
Dan Heng's screenshot, heavy with hope and tangible solutions, acted as the final battle horn.
"Brother, it seems luck really can be blessed!" Belle's bright eyes sparkled, her expression a chaotic mix of bubbling excitement and nervous anticipation.
Wise's slightly quickened breathing betrayed his usually calm, analytical demeanor. "Mm. And we also have Inky's blessing on our side. Belle, are you ready?"
"Mm!" Belle nodded vigorously. She took a deep, steadying breath, puffing out her cheeks as if she were stepping onto a battlefield.
Wise offered a firm nod. "Then... three, two, one!"
The siblings exchanged a determined glance. In perfect synchronization, they mentally slammed their fingers down on the virtual ten-pull button!
Swish! Swish!
Two simultaneous deductions of 1280 points flashed across their respective interfaces.
Brilliant streaks of light bloomed in the dimly lit room, converging and solidifying right before their eyes as physical items materialized in their hands.
A strange, heavy fruit dropped into Wise's palm. It was entirely a fiery orange-red, its skin covered in bizarre, swirling patterns that resembled dancing flames.
Holding it felt like cradling a miniature, active volcano. It radiated a comforting warmth that stopped just short of burning his skin, emitting a potent aura that intertwined vibrant, roaring life with pure, destructive power.
[Logia-Type · Flame-Flame Fruit (Purified Version)]!
After consuming this fruit, the user's body would gain the ability to elementalize. In this state, the user became completely immune to pure physical attacks and high-temperature flame damage within their control range.
Naturally, this effect was weakened against higher-tier energy attacks, conceptual rule-based attacks, or extreme low temperatures. However, the user could freely create, shape, and control flames!
, this fruit was a purified version provided by the chat group, completely removing the fatal flaws from its original world, such as the fear of seawater and Seastone! The consumer would gain an extremely high affinity for the fire element.
In his other hand, no physical item materialized immediately. Instead, a glowing green talisman inscribed with complex, deep golden patterns drifted down—the [Vajra Talisman].
This was a one-time consumable. After infusing it with energy to activate the core, a sturdy golden light shield would instantly generate across the user's body surface, providing considerable physical and energy defense for a short duration.
The shield's ultimate strength was directly proportional to the intensity of the input energy.
However, since the siblings already possessed the protective jade pendants gifted by Zhongli, this item felt slightly redundant for their own use. Still, it would be an excellent choice to gift to a friend or ally for self-defense.
The remaining white-tier items clattered onto the desk: [High-Performance Battery] x4, [Portable Mini TV], [Stylish Windproof Goggles], [Multi-Function Pliers Set], [Box of Instant Coffee], and [Compressed Biscuits].
Wise looked down at this incredibly grounded pile of everyday goods. His lips twitched slightly before he expressionlessly categorized the entire pile as a Logistics Supply Pack.
Beside him, Belle's harvest was proving to be equally exceptional.
In her hand rested a fruit strikingly similar in shape to her brother's, yet entirely opposite in its fundamental nature.
It was also covered in those strange, swirling patterns, but the moment it materialized, the ambient temperature in the video store seemed to plummet several degrees. Wisps of freezing white mist curled around the fruit like a thin, ethereal veil, chilling her skin the moment she touched it.
[Logia-Type · Chilly-Chilly Fruit (Purified Version)]!
After consuming this fruit, the user's body also gained the ability to elementalize.
In this state, the user was immune to pure physical attacks and extreme cold damage within their control range. The user could freely create and manipulate ice, instantly freezing targets!
This fruit was also a purified version, granting the consumer an extremely high affinity for the ice element without the original world's aquatic weaknesses.
In her other hand, two green lights and seven white lights materialized in a rapid sequence.
One of the green-tier items was a sleek, red-and-white spherical capsule that practically radiated a futuristic, technological aesthetic—the [Spirit Capture Capsule].
This was a high-tech product hailing from another world.
It could emit a specialized energy beam to attempt the capture and containment of non-humanoid intelligent creatures.
After a successful containment, the user needed to establish a connection with the target through telepathic communication, taming, or forming a binding contract to command it.
The success rate was heavily influenced by the target's physical state, its willpower, and the user's own mental strength.
If the target's power far exceeded the user's, or if its will was exceptionally firm, the capture effect would be severely diminished. Attempting a forced capture under those conditions could easily trigger a dangerous backlash.
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