As Li Wei stood silently, his team around him catching their breath from the battle, a familiar screen lit up in his mind's eye, hovering with an inviting glow.
[First Blood]
[Condition met: New features unlocked]
He felt a subtle shift within, as if a door had been opened in his consciousness.
[Congratulations, Host. You've unlocked two new features: the Life Point (LP) panel and the System Shop. These additions will greatly enhance your path forward.]
Li Wei's gaze remained on his surroundings, calm and collected, but inwardly his mind raced, curious about these new tools. He couldn't help but be intrigued as the system continued its explanation.
[LP, or Life Points, are awarded for defeating creatures or individuals. The stronger your opponent, the more LP you gain. For instance, killing a Grade 2 beast has just awarded you 20 LP.]
He focused on the LP panel, noting that, indeed, he had 20 LP displayed in bold, gleaming numbers. Then the system continued, clarifying the benefit of these Life Points in a way that piqued his curiosity further.
[LP also extends your lifespan, adding directly to the years you have left to live. For example, if your natural lifespan were 100 years, the 20 LP you just earned would extend it to 120 years—if left unspent.]
Li Wei's eyes subtly narrowed. Additional lifespan and currency? This was a feature unlike any he had encountered in his previous lives, and the dual benefit intrigued him.
The system sensed his growing interest and moved on to the second panel: the System Shop.
[The System Shop enables you to purchase items using LP. Almost any item you can imagine is available here. Note that item prices vary, with the most basic ones starting at 5 LP for a simple pill, and the highest-grade treasures exceeding even 100,000 LP. ]
The system revealed a list, and Li Wei mentally scrolled through it, observing an array of items: pills, weapons, cultivation manuals, and talismans. Some items had prices that soared into the thousands, while others remained within his current range. For now, it appeared that he could afford a handful of simpler items, but the tantalizing sight of treasures priced in the tens of thousands hinted at greater possibilities if he could amass enough LP.
[One final note: LP used in the shop will reduce your extended lifespan accordingly. Spend with care, Host.]
Li Wei gave a barely perceptible nod, processing this last note. Spending LP could shorten the additional years granted, effectively reducing his lifespan back to its natural limits. A resource to be balanced carefully, he mused. It added a new layer of strategy to his journey toward immortality.
As his mind absorbed the explanations, his teammates looked over at him, confused by his stillness.
"Li Wei?" Mei Chen called softly, stepping closer. "Are you alright?"
Snapping back to the present, he met her gaze, his face as calm as ever. "Yes. Just gathering my thoughts. Let's keep moving."
With a final glance at the System Shop, he mentally dismissed the panels, his mind set on the path forward. The Endless Forest stretched ahead, holding secrets that he was now more equipped than ever to uncover.