"I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you're not in this world to live up to mine."
Lan was handling the "floating into the light" situation better than the others, her calm composure almost irritating in its ease.
She turned to Jie, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Are our enhancements going to be this dramatic, or is this just a special treat?"
"No," Jie replied quickly, almost dismissively. "When you enhance your stats, some particles float from God into your body, and you'll feel stronger. He probably exchanged for something amazing."
As Zheng fell back to the ground, everyone noticed something different about him—his skin was unnaturally smooth, almost glowing, and there was a subtle but undeniable shift in his aura.
Zheng opened his eyes to find the group staring. "What? Is there something on my face?"
Kris shook his head and leaned toward the kid, whispering, "Is it too late to tell him he should avoid dark alleys and tinted vans?"
Biscuit tried to cover her mouth, but a soft giggle slipped out. Zheng froze, touching his face as though he could feel the scrutiny. "Why are you guys staring at me like that? What's wrong with my face?"
"Nothing," Kris said, still grinning. "Just wondering if we should start making you our official mascot for creepy horror flicks."
Zheng blinked, confused but relieved. "What did I miss?"
We all laughed, but there was a bit of an edge to it—a teasing, almost spiteful edge. "How does it feel?" Kris asked, trying to redirect. "Tell us what you chose and what your stats are."
"I separated the rank B reward into rank C and D rewards," Zheng explained, his voice a bit proud. "I exchanged them for entry-level and intermediate Qi, and... a vampire mutation."
He paused for effect, clearly expecting applause.
The others exchanged glances, a flicker of envy passing between them, though Kris remained silent, almost too silent, his gaze fixed on Zheng.
Kris knew that despite how strong Zheng sounded, his choices were bound to create friction between the opposing energies he had chosen.
Lan's eyes narrowed slightly, but she kept her voice neutral. "Do you think those Xian—Taoist immortals, ghosts, vampires, werewolves from legend—were real? Maybe they're just people who escaped from this place."
"It's highly probable," Lan continued, her tone thoughtful, but her eyes flicking between Zheng and the others. "This place has existed for ages. There were no horror movies, but folklore? Always. The first generations were always the strongest—maybe they came from here."
Xiaoyi's youthful enthusiasm was almost palpable. "But if this place exists, who could have created it? A real God, or maybe... a devil?"
Lan shrugged, her gaze lingering on Zheng for a moment. "Who knows? Maybe both. Maybe neither. It's a mystery."
She turned back to Zheng, her voice shifting just slightly, enough to let him know she didn't care for his show of power. "So, what abilities did you get?"
Zheng smirked, as if proud of himself. "Yeah, I got Qi and Blood Energy, but I still don't know how to use them yet. What about you guys? Did you get your enhancements?"
Some of the group nodded, but Xiaoyi was practically bouncing with excitement. "I feel so strong! Like I can do anything! How about you?" He looked at me, clearly eager for validation.
Kris took a moment, his thoughts spinning. While Jie was talking earlier, no one had asked about points, which meant I didn't have to bring up the fact I'd spent a hefty chunk of mine on Biscuit or my little experiment. Time to keep things in my favor.
Kris opened his eyes, a grin forming as he silently checked his own exchange history. Kris had planned this all along, leaving himself with 900 points to spare. He quickly exchanged for **Geppo** from *One Piece*.
**Geppo** - Rating 62.
Allows users to push themselves off the air with superhumanly strong kicks, allowing them to remain in midair for extended periods. Resembling flight. 500 points and a D-rank reward.
Without a word, Kris jumped several feet into the air, landing with a soft sound on what seemed like an invisible platform. His kicks hit the air, sending him higher, each one testing the limits of his new power. The others watched, their expressions a mix of awe and something less pleasant.
After a few moments, Kris landed, a satisfied grin on his face. "Impressive!" Lan and Xiaoyi exclaimed in unison. Jie chuckled, though it sounded forced.
"Great, now show us everything else you've got! What did you exchange for?" Jie demanded, his eyes glinting with something I couldn't quite place. Biscuit gave him a long, disapproving look.
"Don't look at me like that," Jie said, the words just a little too sharp. "We all know he got some reward for saving that merc-Rain."
"Well, yeah, but not much," Kris quickly responded, cutting through the tension before it could grow. "I got a C-rank reward and 1500 points, plus mission completion bonuses and extras for zombie kills. So I bought Geppo since it's perfect for any movie we're in—where will most likely be running or escaping a lot. It cost 500 points and a D-rank reward."
"And then there's Biscuit," I continued, glancing at her with a grin. "I used my other D-rank reward and 700 points to give her Nen. We can't create humans with pre-existing powers, so now she's my bodyguard and teacher. Nen can be taught, by the way."
Kris paused, feeling the weight of the group's silent attention. "But don't get any ideas. It's risky. I survived only because of her. Plus, you'd have to convince her to teach you. She's her own person. I even have to curry favor with her."
Yeah, chew on that you jerk. Wonder how you'll react when you learn I still have another ranked reward and some upgrade certificate that even you haven't heard of.
The others absorbed this in silence, but Kris could feel the sting of unspoken thoughts, bits of envy simmering just beneath the surface. Zheng didn't look so proud anymore, but his discomfort was masked by a smile.
Meanwhile, Zheng reconnected with God, looking more at ease now.
When Zheng opened his eyes, a ring appeared in front of him. A bronze ring with a dragon carving.
"Something from the entertainment category? Is this for Lori?" Jie asked, his voice tinged with curiosity but also something else—resentment, maybe?
Zheng smiled slyly and slid the ring on. "Try touching it," he said, offering his hand with a gleam in his eye.
Jie reached out, then quickly recoiled, as if shocked by an invisible jolt. "Is this an electric shock ring?" Lan asked, her tone almost too calm.
"No," Zheng replied, with a knowing smirk. "This is a Xiuzhen item—something made by the Xian. It's called Na, and it can store 1.5 cubic meters of items. It also attacks supernatural beings. Finally, something to defend ourselves in those horror movies."
The others exchanged looks, but nobody said anything for a moment.
Sensing a bit of negative vibe, Zheng shrugged and said, "I'll spend my last 1,000 points on meds, antidotes, and support items. I'll keep them in the ring if anyone needs them." His tone softened, almost apologetic.
"Alright," Jie said, his voice strained, though he quickly regained composure. "Bring your girls and come eat at my place. My wife's an executive chef. God was generous enough to let us create food in the kitchen. Then, training starts for all of you."
Master Biscuit raised an eyebrow, a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Rugrat, but nobody trains my disciple but me. I'm not saying no to the food, though."
Jie's jaw tightened, but he kept his smile firmly in place. The vein on his forehead twitched.
Maybe he really hated being called "Rugrat." Well, given Master's age, every one of us was basically a toddler.