Moreover, Mu You thought that in this world full of magic, magic spells should be relatively cheap. To his surprise, spells turned out to be the priciest goods!
Even the most basic low-level Flame Spell costs 100 years of life! The higher level spells were out of his reach right now.
Mu You sighed and prepared to leave the shop.
Just as he was about to, a new notification appeared in the game.
[It seems Boss Cat noticed your predicament, and as a new customer bonus, he has given you a Healing Bandage for free. He hopes you will give him more business in the future.]
[Healing Bandage: An emergency treatment item for wounds. It can instantly heal injuries, or if you're physically attacked, it can prevent death once.]
"Oh wow?"
Mu You's eyes lit up, deeply moved.
What a generous shop owner!
Even though the bandage doesn't directly add lifespan, it can prevent a death – precisely what he needs right now.
Most importantly: it was free!
In a world filled with malice, only in Boss Cat's shop could he feel a touch of warmth.
[Before you go, Boss Cat tells you, every midnight three random items will be replenished in the Owl Shop. Be sure to come by each day, you never know what you might need.]
"No problem, boss. When I become rich in the future, I'll definitely support your business every day!"
Mu You quietly reassured himself inside, and chose the option to [Leave].
[You have left the Owl Shop and are back on the road.]
[You see at the end of the snowy path, lights twinkle, a familiar sight. You're almost there! Not far ahead, is a village.]
[You quickened your pace and finally arrived at the village.]
Mu You thought to himself, it hadn't been easy. After being bullied by various small creatures all the way, he finally, finally found a safe spot… Having said that, a village wouldn't pose any danger, right?
[Just as you're about to enter the village, you notice a bearded hunter lying in a pool of blood at the entrance. Do you approach to check on him?]
Oh? Did some event just trigger?
His many years of gaming experience told him that such plotlines often have bonuses. Mu You quickly chose 'Yes'.
[You moved closer to check. The injured hunter, who carried a Hunting Rifle, seemed to have been wounded while hunting in the forest. His body was covered in bite marks from some beast and was bleeding continuously. He weakly looked at you, pleading for help. You decide...]
[Rob him: The hunter has many treasures on him. Now's the perfect opportunity to take advantage of his weakness.]
[Heal him: Use your bandage to treat his wounds. Maybe he will be grateful and give you some bonus.]
[Pretend not to see: You pretend not to see and enter the village, leaving him to quietly await his death.]
"Rob him!"
Among the three options, Mu You quickly chose the first.
[A greedy light flashes in your eyes as you choose to rob the hunter while he's vulnerable.]
[The hunter is furious! Despite being on the brink of death, he mustered his remaining strength to jump up and chop you down with his axe!]
"Oh, come on! Brother Hunter, I made a mistake!"
Mu You realized he had been too confident in his combat power. Even a dying hunter was not one he could underestimate.
It's time to rewind.
[Time flows backward. You're once again standing in front of the hunter. This time, you decide…]
"Heal him."
Mu You chose the second option.
Although healing the hunter would use up his bandages, he figured this could trigger some plotline. Whether it was worth it, he would have to find out.
[You chose to treat the hunter with the bandage.]
[The bandage radiates a faint white light, healing most of the hunter's wounds. The hunter survived and was grateful for your help. He decided to offer you a bonus as a sign of gratitude. Do you accept?]
Here it comes!
Mu You had been waiting for this moment and didn't hesitate to accept!
The hunter is the village's famous hunting expert and animal taming master, possessing some great sharpshooting skills. You can choose one out of the three following spells as a reward for saving him.]
[Sure Shot: A shooting spell that greatly increases your accuracy with various ranged weapons for a short period of time.]
[Beast Trap: A trapping spell that consumes wood or metal to create a concealed trap on the ground. When a creature walks over it, it becomes trapped.]
[Animal Dialogue: A taming spell that gives animals a spiritual awareness so they can understand your commands. The success rate decreases with higher level creatures.]
"Spells!"
Mu You was ecstatic!
All three options were spells!
And by the looks of it, each one was powerfully effective!
Soon, Mu You was trapped in a joyous dilemma, because out of the three spells, he could only choose one…
Wait a minute…
Suddenly, Mu You had a realization.
Why did he have to choose?
Others might need to choose, but he had the Time Pocket Watch. Couldn't he have them all?
Spells function differently than tangible rewards. Spells are a type of memory.
With tangible rewards, if time reverses, the rewards disappear.
But with memories, they're imprinted directly in his brain — it's not like he would forget them even if time reversed, right?
Of course, Mu You wasn't sure if the game would allow him to exploit such an obvious loophole, but he would try first.
Mu You chose the third option, 'Animal Dialogue'.
As a pet shop owner, there was no magic more practical than this!
[You have learned "Animal Dialogue"!]
The moment the notification popped up, Mu You felt a complex incantation lingering in his mind. Although it was a language he never understood before, he could recite it as fluently as his mother tongue.
Before he had the chance to fully grasp the profound meaning behind the spell, five seconds slipped by and Mu You was quick to press the pocket watch.
Time reversed, back to before his choice.
There were still three options in front of him.
At the same time, the memory of the spell in Mu You's mind didn't vanish!
Success!
Mu You was ecstatic, he was really able to exploit a bug!
[Please choose one from the following three spells…]
"Sorry, I want them all!"
Determinedly following the same method, Mu You quickly mastered the other two spells as well.
Feeling the three spell lines floating in his mind, Mu You was satisfied. This was the most overpowered use of time reversal!
Let's continue!
After leeching off of three precious spells at once, he didn't feel the loss of two lifelines as much as before.
Furthermore, he had also reached a village in the game where surely there would be more exciting events waiting for him to discover!
Mu You was at the peak of his gaming excitement, eager to continue, when suddenly…
[Fool, you've exhausted your energy for today. If you force yourself to keep going in a state of fatigue, your body might disintegrate. It's best to rest now and continue when your energy replenishes tomorrow.]