"Enhancing physical attributes: the 'Lord God' divides human attributes into six categories—Intelligence, Mental Strength, Cellular Vitality, Neural Response Speed, Muscle Tissue Strength, and Immune System Strength. Based on my experiments and understanding, Intelligence likely relates to memory and the speed of problem-solving. Mental Strength is harder to gauge as there's no clear way to test it. Cellular Vitality seems to correspond to the body's recovery rate; the higher it is, the faster you heal from injuries."
"The effects of enhancing Neural Response Speed and Muscle Tissue Strength are the most apparent, and they're also the most useful for us. Neural Response Speed allows faster reflexes, enabling you to perceive high-speed objects—potentially even the trajectory of bullets if sufficiently enhanced. However, Neural Response Speed alone isn't enough, as your physical body must keep up with your neural reactions. That's where Muscle Tissue Strength becomes critical. The greater your Muscle Tissue Strength, the stronger and faster you become. It also increases the resilience of your body, preventing injuries from the strain of using excessive force. This is its primary purpose."
"The final category is Immune System Strength, which is equally vital. With a strong enough immune system, you could survive zombie-themed scenarios like Resident Evil without getting infected by viruses."
Zhang Jie shared his experiences with the other three and continued:"That's the basics of enhancement. Now onto item exchanges. First, I recommend that you two refrain from exchanging for items for now. Use your current reward points to enhance Cellular Vitality, Neural Response Speed, Muscle Tissue Strength, and Immune System Strength. Focus primarily on Neural Response Speed and Muscle Tissue Strength; otherwise, your physical stamina will hold you back in the next scenario, even with minor exertions like long runs."
Turning to Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie said,"As for you, it's your call. You have a B-tier side quest reward and 6,500 reward points. I suggest exchanging for a major physical mutation enhancement. What you choose depends on your priorities. Use some of the remaining reward points for physical attributes and the rest for weapons. Among us, you'll likely be the strongest in the next scenario. I'd recommend you get a weapon from the Magical or Legendary category."
Zheng Zha nodded."That's my plan too. In many supernatural horror scenarios, like Ju-On, the greatest threats are often inexplicable by science. Your first scenario, A Nightmare on Elm Street, could also fall into this category. I'm planning to exchange for a weapon capable of dealing with such entities. Let's just hope it isn't too expensive."
Zhang Jie laughed,"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go take a look. Afterward, I'll have Na'er whip up a great meal for us. Come on!"
The four of them headed excitedly toward the glowing sphere at the center of the plaza. For Zheng Zha, this was his first time experiencing enhancements. It marked the beginning of his transformation into something beyond human. This was especially true for Zheng Zha, whose potential enhancements far outstripped the others'. The sheer anticipation of transcending ordinary limits was enough to make their hearts race.
Standing under the glowing orb, Zheng Zha steadied himself. Closing his eyes, he once again felt that mental connection with the 'Lord God.' The four major categories of the exchange platform appeared vividly in his mind.
"First, let's check out the available physical enhancements," he thought.
Focusing his mind, he scrolled through the auxiliary enhancements list. Soon, all the physical enhancement options were displayed. He filtered out the B- and C-tier enhancements, which alone comprised dozens of options, leaving him momentarily dazzled by the array.
Spider-Man Gene Mutation: Rating: 83. Best suited for high-agility scenarios. Comes with the Spider-Web skill, usable in all situations. Requires 1 B-tier side quest and 2,000 reward points.
Advanced Qi-Gong Strengthening: Rating: 87. Best suited for melee-focused scenarios. Enhances inner strength significantly and temporarily boosts physical attributes. Requires 1 B-tier side quest and 2,500 reward points. Requires Intermediate Qi-Gong Strengthening.
Advanced Werewolf Mutation: Rating: 88. Suitable for most scenarios. Grants Werewolf Transformation, temporarily boosting physical attributes, toughness, and recovery. As a mutation, the user isn't controlled by the werewolf instincts. Requires 1 B-tier side quest and 2,700 reward points. Requires Basic Werewolf Mutation.
Vampire Count Mutation: Rating: 90. Suitable for most scenarios. Grants Vampire Energy, enabling use of certain vampire skills. Count-level vampires have greatly enhanced vitality, recovering from injuries unless the brain or heart is destroyed. As a mutation, the user is immune to sunlight, silver, etc. Requires 1 B-tier side quest and 3,000 reward points. Requires Vampire Baron Mutation.
High-Radiation Gene Mutation...
Zheng Zha finally understood Zhang Jie's earlier laughter. The options were downright bizarre, including werewolf and vampire bloodlines, and even Qi-Gong. Who knew what other strange things would appear?
An idea struck him, and he quickly checked the A-tier enhancement list. Sure enough, it included top-tier Qi-Gong, werewolf, and vampire mutations. These higher-level enhancements required their B-tier counterparts as prerequisites.
After some deliberation, Zheng Zha mentally asked,"Lord God, can I choose two different bloodlines or gene mutations simultaneously?"
After a brief pause, the voice replied,"You may, but this may result in unpredictable consequences. Different genes may interact via assimilation or proliferation, with a 70% chance of transforming into a non-human entity."
"In other words, I could turn into a monster," Zheng Zha thought. He nodded, having decided his direction. He converted his B-tier side quest reward into three C-tier rewards, kept two of them, and downgraded one into three D-tier rewards. This allowed him to enhance four times.
His choices were:
D-tier Basic Qi-Gong Enhancement D-tier Vampire Baron Mutation C-tier Intermediate Qi-Gong Enhancement C-tier Vampire Viscount Mutation
This left him with one unused D-tier side quest reward.
"Basic Qi-Gong costs 500 points, Vampire Baron costs 800, Intermediate Qi-Gong costs 1,200, and Vampire Viscount costs 1,500. Damn it, this is outrageously expensive."
Zheng Zha calculated that these enhancements would cost him 4,000 points. Considering he had only 6,502 points, hard-earned through a completed side quest, spending most of it in one go stung. Gritting his teeth, he conveyed his choices to the 'Lord God.'
Moments later, he felt as though he were submerged in warm water. The soothing warmth spread throughout his body, making him feel utterly relaxed. A sinking sensation settled into his abdomen, while a rising one spread to his head. Before long, he felt on the verge of drifting into sleep.
Meanwhile, the others watched in astonishment. Before their eyes, a beam of light descended from the 'Lord God,' enveloping Zheng Zha and lifting him into the air. Suspended several meters above the ground, countless tiny particles flowed into his body from the beam. This spectacle lasted several minutes.
Zhang Jie yelled,"Honey, come quick! You've got to see this—it's God!"
Li Xiaoyi stammered,"He...he's ascending. Wait, why did I say 'again'?"
Compared to the two men's flustered reactions, Zhan Lan remained composed. She suddenly asked Zhang Jie,"We won't be as dramatic when enhancing our attributes, will we?"
Zhang Jie calmed down."No. Normally, the 'Lord God' releases particles onto you once you choose your enhancements. You'll feel stronger and faster immediately. Zheng Zha's display must mean he picked some seriously powerful options."
After several more minutes, Zheng Zha finally descended. The three stared at him with an odd expression. Previously, Zheng Zha had an average level of handsomeness, but now, there was a faintly demonic charm to his appearance—subtle but noticeable.
Zheng Zha felt the warmth dissipate and quickly checked his stats:
Intelligence: 187 Mental Strength: 232 Cellular Vitality: 321 Neural Response Speed: 287 Muscle Tissue Strength: 302 Immune System Strength: 331
The results stunned him. A few low-tier enhancements had tripled his physical attributes compared to an ordinary person.
He also examined the special skills that came with his enhancements: Inner Strength and Vampire Energy. Inner Strength was described as life energy generated through meridians, which grew stronger with use and gradually enhanced the body. Vampire Energy, on the other hand, was a unique biological power centered in the brain's blood core, enabling certain vampire abilities.
Opening his eyes, Zheng Zha saw the three staring at him oddly."What? Did I change somehow?" he asked, panicked, checking his body for abnormalities. To his relief, he found none. Annoyed, he shouted,"Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you know that's scary?"
The three gave awkward laughs. Zhang Jie quickly changed the subject,"So, what enhancements did you choose? How's your body now?"
Zheng Zha chuckled and said,"I swapped the B-level side quest for C-level and D-level ones, then I enhanced my basic and intermediate qi-gong, and also selected the Blood Clan's mutated bloodline for reinforcement. Now I'm a Blood Clan viscount." He then listed his physical attributes.
The three others listened with envy and admiration. Zhan Lan suddenly touched her forehead and said,"Actually, I've been thinking about something. Do you guys think that the legendary immortals, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and those mythical creatures might have really existed at some point? Perhaps they were people who lived in this space and managed to escape. Maybe this space has existed since ancient times. Back then, there may not have been any horror movies, but there were horror legends and stories. When people entered this space back then, they probably completed one scene after another, growing stronger, and eventually managed to leave."
The three men listened intently as Zhan Lan continued,"Because whether it's immortals, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, or even gods, the first generation is usually the strongest. Perhaps the first generation of these creatures was made up of people who left this space, transferring their power to their descendants. But over time, the power weakened, and the descendants became progressively weaker. Do you think this could be possible?"
Li Xiao Yi suddenly asked,"Then, how did this space come about? Even gods' bloodlines can be transferred here, so who is the creator of this space?"
Zhan Lan waved her hand and said,"Maybe it was a real god, or perhaps some demon, who knows? The origin of this space is a mystery. By the way, Zheng Zha, did you get any skills after strengthening your body?"
Zheng Zha replied,"Yes, I gained internal energy and Blood Clan energy, but I still haven't figured out exactly what they are. It feels like there's a warm thing in my lower abdomen, and when I concentrate, it feels like something is about to burst in my mind. What about you guys? Have you strengthened your physical attributes yet?"
Zhan Lan and Li Xiao Yi exchanged glances and smiled, especially Li Xiao Yi. He suddenly jumped two meters high and landed excitedly, saying,"I feel like my body is filled with power, and everything around me is crystal clear. Zheng Zha, what's your feeling?"
Only then did Zheng Zha realize that the surroundings seemed unusually clean and transparent, almost as if they had been washed in water. He could even see the marks of a key on the door handle in the distance. Focusing his attention, he jumped up, soaring over three meters high. After landing, he forcefully pushed off the ground and shot toward Zhang Jie and the others. He zipped between the three of them and returned to his original position. Surprisingly, only Zhang Jie's gaze was able to follow him.
"Wow, amazing!"
Zhan Lan and Li Xiao Yi sighed in admiration, while Zhang Jie laughed heartily,"That's awesome! Hurry and test out your two skills. After all, you strengthened with side quest points, right? By the way, go check out the high-tech weapons. A D-level side quest can get you amazing weapons, but you used two C-level and two D-level quests to enhance yourself. Your two skills must be really strong."
Zheng Zha immediately connected to the"Main God" system again, this time browsing through the technological weapons. There were a variety of options, from bows, shields, and long knives, to machine guns, bombs, and rocket launchers. Even more advanced items included laser swords, electric guns, and photon cannons. The most extravagant was a combat robot for which you needed two thousand attribute points and an A-level side quest.
He decided to check out the more practical options. The limited-ammo weapons were relatively cheap. For example, a small shoulder-mounted anti-air missile only cost fifty reward points. However, a version with unlimited ammunition cost two thousand points, and once a weapon was upgraded to unlimited ammo, its cost in reward points was at least twenty times more than a regular weapon. The advantage was that the weapon could be used endlessly without worrying about ammunition.
Next, Zheng Zha looked at magic and legendary weapons, an area he was familiar with since he had played similar fantasy games. Consumable magic scrolls were cheap, only about twice as expensive as grenades. For example, a Thunderstrike scroll cost thirty reward points, and a Frost Chain scroll cost fifty reward points. Other weapons were mostly melee types, like a glowing longsword called"Purification Light," which cost one thousand points, or an Evil-repelling Peachwood Sword, which cost twelve hundred points.
Zheng Zha had also considered what kind of weapon to use. As his physical attributes grew stronger, he realized that his reliance on ranged weapons would decrease. For instance, if his physical attributes became strong enough to move faster than bullets, and his body was tough enough to withstand bullets, then his strength would be enough that even a small knife would be more effective than a gun.
Considering his long-standing fear of supernatural and horror creatures, Zheng Zha decided to focus on legendary and magical weapons, particularly those suited for combat against ghosts and gods.
While carefully browsing, one ring caught his attention. It was called"Na"—just a single character. The description said it was a magical item crafted using cultivation techniques. It could hold about 1.5 cubic meters of objects, and it could be activated with four types of energy: internal energy, true essence, celestial power, and divine contract. When activated, it would create an energy layer a few centimeters from the user's fist, which could inflict significant damage to spiritual entities.
Zheng Zha's heart skipped a beat—this seemed to be the perfect weapon for him. It was a melee weapon, with an energy layer that could be activated using internal energy. Moreover, it could also store up to 1.5 cubic meters of items, which would allow him to carry extra food and medicine in case of emergencies in the horror scenarios.
"Alright, I'll take it, even though it's a bit pricey…"
It cost one thousand five hundred reward points plus a D-level side quest, and in the end, Zheng Zha didn't manage to save a single D-level side quest. He felt a little empty inside after the purchase.
When he opened his eyes, an ancient-looking ring appeared in front of him. It was made of brass, with an inconspicuous dragon pattern carved onto the surface. The ring had no other decorations or strange features, and it looked dull and unattractive.
The other three gathered around, and Zhang Jie asked curiously,"Zheng Zha, did you exchange this from the entertainment category? Planning to give it to that woman? Non-consumable items like this can be created directly in the house, there's no need to exchange for them."
Zheng Zha chuckled but didn't answer. He put the ring on his right middle finger. The moment he slipped it on, the warm energy in his lower abdomen stirred and flowed along his meridians to the ring. He immediately felt as though the ring had fused with his right hand, and with a little focus, he could"see" the 1.5 cubic meter space in his mind. This was also his first time experiencing how to use internal energy, and it felt much easier than he had imagined.
"Try it out," Zheng Zha laughed as he extended his right hand toward the three of them.
Zhang Jie and the others exchanged confused glances before reaching out to touch the ring. The moment they did, they jerked back as if they had been electrocuted, holding their fingers in discomfort and looking at Zheng Zha with bitter expressions.
"Is this an electric shock ring?" Zhan Lan asked curiously.
Zheng Zha chuckled and said,"No, this is a magical item created using cultivation techniques, something like the ones made by ancient Chinese immortals. It looks simple, but it's quite powerful. This ring is called 'Na,' and it can store up to 1.5 cubic meters of items. It can also deal damage to spiritual entities. In other words, we're not defenseless against those supernatural horror creatures anymore, haha."
The three of them looked at him with a mix of envy and jealousy. Zheng Zha knew that all his luck had led to this, and anyone would be envious seeing this. So, he immediately decided to spend the remaining one thousand reward points on healing and antidote supplies, since the ring could hold a lot of small items. That way, if any of them got hurt, they would have the necessary items to heal.
Zhang Jie smiled and said,"You don't have to rush for the next exchange. Alright, bring your women, and let's go to my place for dinner. My wife is an amazing cook—chef-level! Haha,'Main God' has never been stingy with food. You can practically make anything you want in the kitchen. Let's go, from this afternoon, we're starting training."
"Training?" The three asked in surprise.
Zhang Jie explained as he walked,"Yes, training. Actually, a person's attribute points change with the amount of training they do. From my observation, those special forces soldiers with super-strengthened training have physical attributes almost on par with Zheng Zha, only lacking internal energy and that Blood Clan energy. But their combat skills and endurance are so much better. If they fought Zheng Zha, maybe Zheng Zha would lose."
"I've been training in my spare time during these breaks between horror films—improving my reflexes and muscle strength. And aside from those physical attributes, you guys need to learn things like marksmanship, too. Don't worry, I have a huge shooting range in my basement. We all need to train hard for the next film."
Zheng Zha silently thought to himself,"Not for the next film, but to survive." No matter what, he was determined to survive, to leave this space with his beloved woman, and return to the real world!