Chapter 17: The Exchange Function (Seeking Your Continued Reading)

After receiving Zhou Yan’s promise, Luo Xuan walked away without looking back. Zhou Yan could sense a hint of lightness in her steady steps. Then, he shook his head again, raising his left arm—now without a hand—and stared at it for a couple of seconds, his gaze inscrutable.

“You’re just a cripple. Don’t think too much. The most important thing right now is to become stronger.”

He muttered softly to himself, and his mind gradually returned to calm.

*

Around ten thirty, Zhou Yan finished his shower and returned to his small room. After confirming the door was shut, he lay on his bed and opened the panel.

[Walker in the Calamity Realm: Zhou Yan]
[Attributes: Physique 8, Acuity 9, Spirit 9]
[Skills: Southern Light Sword (Novice)]

There was a flicker in Zhou Yan’s eyes. Both his physique and acuity had increased by one. Was this a side effect from learning the “Southern Light Sword” tonight? No, he quickly dismissed the thought. Rather than an incidental effect of the sword technique, it was more likely that his sustained practice of “basic close combat techniques,” combined with strength training and actual combat in the Chaotic Calamity Realm, had brought his attributes to the verge of advancement, with tonight’s sword training merely serving as the catalyst.

Wait—speaking of basic close combat techniques...

Zhou Yan then noticed that under the skills section of his panel, only “Southern Light Sword” remained. Where had that large block of basic close combat techniques gone? He searched the panel thoroughly, but it was nowhere to be found. It couldn’t have vanished inexplicably.

Zhou Yan decided to review the panel’s information log. It didn’t take long to find the answer. During his practice of the Southern Light Sword, the new technique had “devoured” the basic close combat skills as if they were fuel.

He stroked his chin. Upon reflection, it made sense. The introductory sword skills were all very basic moves, easily absorbed into the more advanced Southern Light Sword.

Having found the reason, Zhou Yan no longer dwelled on it. He called up a function he had been thinking about but had yet to use.

[Enter Exchange]

The next moment, a simple and unadorned interface appeared before him.

[Exchange only supports bartering of items.]
[You may exchange items you possess for other specified items of the same type, star level, and rank.]
[Exchanges are not necessarily equivalent; use this function with discretion.]

A series of messages explained how to use the interface. Zhou Yan glanced over it and understood the general idea. Then he checked the list of items available for exchange—completely empty.

After a moment’s thought, he decided to remove a “Physique” rune factor from his life gear. As expected, once detached, the rune factor returned to his inventory, and it also appeared among the exchangeable items.

[Rune Factor: Physique]
[Rating: 0-star, 1st rank]
[Can be exchanged for other rune factors of the same level and rank]

With a thought, Zhou Yan summoned a list of all available exchanges for this rune factor: Acuity, Spirit, Curse, Blessing, Endurance, Recovery, Destruction...

He immediately spotted the three rune factors he had been longing for, and a smile appeared on his lips. He had always wondered how long it would take to acquire a full set of rune factors needed for the core of his rune circuit if he relied solely on defeating monsters. Now, this exchange function solved the problem. He could trade less urgently needed rune factors for those he truly required.

He immediately selected “Endurance,” one of the runes required for the circuit.

[Rune Factor: Endurance]
[Rating: 0-star, 1st rank]
[Effect: When affixed to life gear, increases its maximum durability by 10 points]
[Exchange cost: One rune factor of the same grade plus 200 Spirit]

After checking, Zhou Yan glanced at his remaining eight hundred points of Spirit. After a moment’s thought, he decided to exchange both of his Physique rune factors and one Acuity rune factor, spending six hundred Spirit.

Two Physique and one Acuity rune factors became Endurance, Recovery, and Blessing rune factors. Their effects were as follows:

[Life gear maximum durability +10]
[Life gear auto-recovers durability at +0.2 per second]
[Wearer’s stamina recovery speed +2%]

Individually, the effects seemed modest. But once all three rune factors were added to Zhou Yan’s life gear, their standalone properties were replaced—now, together with the core of the rune circuit, they activated the long-awaited “Rune Circuit.”

[Rune Circuit requirements fulfilled. Additional effects gained: “Life gear maximum durability +100,” “Wearer’s stamina recovery speed +20%,” and “Life gear auto-recovers durability at +2 per second.”]

The relevant stats of his gear instantly received a tremendous boost. Unfortunately, barring any accidents, Zhou Yan had no intention of equipping his life gear in the real world. For now, this surge in power could only be admired, not experienced.

Meanwhile, his Spirit points had dropped to just over two hundred, leaving him feeling a bit uneasy, as if something was missing.

“It seems I’ll only earn more Spirit during my next ‘walk’...”

He muttered, then couldn’t help but glance at the countdown for his next journey into the Calamity Realm.

[Next Calamity Realm Walk: 2 days, 21 hours, 48 minutes]

“Tch, what’s wrong with me? I’m actually looking forward to another ‘walk’—even though it’s a terrifying world where my life is constantly at risk...”

Zhou Yan gave a helpless smile and shut down the panel. He set his alarm, turned over, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

*

Meanwhile, Luo Xuan, her hair dried after a shower, returned to her room. She wore a white nightgown, her long, fair, shapely legs crossed quietly. After lying down for a while, she turned on her side, reached for the plush Psyduck Zhou Yan had just given her, and gazed into its silly, round eyes with her sharp, sword-like gaze.

“Truly silly and clueless...”

She murmured to herself.

“I didn’t expect him to pick up the Southern Light Sword so quickly. That kind of talent is on par with the most gifted students at any sword hall in Tianzun City... let alone the two so-called ‘elites’ at our own hall.”

Luo Xuan recalled how Zhou Yan had learned the Southern Light Sword tonight with ease and uncanny skill. Yet her thoughts wandered unexpectedly to how, when learning the “Owl’s Stance,” he had fixed his gaze intently on her legs and feet.

“Are they... really that attractive?” She held the Psyduck plush to her thigh, as if asking it for an answer.

But the Psyduck was only a toy and could not reply.

In another room, Luo Ke sprawled out in a starfish pose, drooling slightly in her sleep and mumbling dreamily,

“Hehehe, Brother Zhou Yan, save some mango sago for me too, I want some...”