From deep within the forest, a rumbling explosion of commotion burst forth, as a dinosaur-like beast chased several giant oxen thundering into the distance.
Morris was momentarily stunned.
–Thanks, I’m basically a lone wolf, so there’s still a lot of relevant info I haven’t grasped yet. How do I get to your Hubville?–
–That’s pretty impressive, I gotta say.– Morris chuckled, tossing out a compliment.
His gaze swept over himself—before hitting the sack, he had shed his long, gray coat, now clad only in a form-fitting, dark blue-black thin shirt. The slightly rough fabric hugged every contour of his moving body.
His head felt a bit dizzy. Boboli had gone and used alcohol to hypnotize him—that guy was still as unreliable as ever. Hopefully, this whole dream wouldn’t end up a fuzzy mess.
He turned to Yang Zicang, shaking his head a little, then said:
–Once a stabilized full-moon-level intersection is established, some aberrant spaces might spawn new exits, possibly popping up at the other end of the city. You’re aware of that, right?–
B-ranked aberrant spaces sometimes have two entry points. Yang Zicang gave a nod.
–Similarly, after stabilizing a Crimson Moon-level convergence, a new exit will also appear, though that one leads to a small town. The town has living areas designed for relaxation and enjoyment, with very affordable expenses—many people have settled there with their few remaining family members. That place is extremely safe, and people from different cities can exchange insights and trade items within the town.–
–Crimson Moon-level… so that’s how it is.–
So there is still such a peaceful place in this world, but it can only be reached after stabilizing an A-grade area.
Morris carefully observed the man. Although he was armed, he exuded an air of ease, as if he had merged with the mountain forest.
Thinking that this man alone had earned the Postal Emblem, which meant he possessed formidable Moxel, a thought struck Morris: could this kid’s Moxel be a Quad?
Yang Zicang pondered for a moment, then asked a second question: –What ability did you use when you made that wish to the statue?–
Hearing this, Morris grumbled inwardly. This guy didn’t seem all that strong—he was ignorant of so many things.
–It was a Wish Charm. I bought it—how to obtain one, I don’t know.–
Yang Zicang nodded, his gaze shifting to the dozens of green spheres by the boy’s side and the seven books on the bed.
–What are these books?–
–Secret techniques!–
Morris suddenly came alive with excitement.
–They’re like skill books in video games, but you can’t just flip through them and learn instantly. Yet this time, I’m here to master them in one go.–
Yang Zicang’s gaze flickered.
–You have that kind of ability?–
–No, not me. Them.–
Morris picked up a small ball and tossed it over. The moment Yang Zicang caught it, the abilities contained within the ball surfaced in his mind.
[Leveling Contract.]
「？？？」
Before he could react, two more books were shoved into his hands by Morris as he walked over.
–These secret techniques are ones I just gathered. Time was too tight—otherwise, I could’ve found better ones. What a pity this opportunity… you’ve actually entered a Chronos Expansion state. Sigh, if only we were in the same city.–
Yang Zicang flipped through the manuals and saw that they granted abilities like unleashing flames or frost.
–Too powerful.–
–These books contain a mystical power; you have to read them to learn without mistakes. If you try to rewrite one, even by copying it verbatim, anyone practicing from your copy will run into problems.–
Yang Zicang silently browsed through them, then walked over to the bed that had abruptly appeared in the forest and picked up the other books on it to leaf through.
These secret techniques were akin to normal martial arts manuals—after learning them, one could enhance physique, strength, and body flexibility.
Some martial techniques possess immense destructive power; once mastered, one becomes a top-tier fighter, capable of easily uprooting poplars.
Indeed, there are other ways to grow stronger in this world.
–Impressive, where did you get so many of these?–
–They are found with a certain probability at Crimson Moon-level Cross Zones.–
–So you plan to enter here to learn these skills? Not bad, that’s a good approach…–
–These secret arts cannot be grasped in just a year or two, let alone becoming an expert—that takes at least a dozen years, or even decades of arduous practice.–
Yang Zicang turned his gaze back to the small spheres on the bed.
–So…–
Standing by the bed, he put down the book, picked up a skill sphere and tossed it into the air; then the circle on his chest lit up, and Quad lines flickered.
Morris’s throat moved—it was indeed Quad.
[I spent 1r to obtain more information on –Ability Sphere–.]
The first time he got this sphere, Moxel hadn’t referred to it by name, but once Morris called it an ability sphere, Moxel followed suit in thought this time.
Moxel’s naming of all things in the world is based on human cognition.
A flood of information streamed into his mind.
[Boosted Skill Contract – Activation Clause: Once the contract’s creator completes skill training or passes away, the first party shall, in accordance with the agreement, extract the boosted skill experience signed with the second party before their demise.]
[Upon termination of the contract through extraction, the second party shall lose the ability to utilize this designated experience.]
[This boosted skill experience contract transcends all individual limitations, seamlessly integrating with any recipient’s mind, allowing them to inherit and master the skill experience and achievements trained by the original contract creator.]
[Under the influence of the Wish Pendant, I can carry this contract out of Near Realm upon departure.]
Morris watched Yang Zicang’s expression and said,
–This is an ability of a friend of mine. His power is incredible, yet it finds little practical use in reality.–
No wonder the mysterious voice claimed I was the best match for the wish they sought—these secret skills could indeed realize their greatest value here.
Yang Zicang couldn’t help but exclaim with envy.
–An ability that fits this place like a perfect puzzle. As long as someone in this dreamland masters these secret skills and extracts them, you can acquire those very abilities. Mr. Morris, you are truly fortunate to have crossed paths with me.–
It’s likely that the owner of this power to develop skills by proxy is the true beneficiary of the complete postmark. Even using your toes to think about it, you’d know that guy can’t find a fitting opportunity to fully use his ability in the real world.
Yang Zicang looked at Morris: –So, how much are you planning to pay me?–
This is a rare chance to obtain a skill book.
Morris had also received a fragmented postmark, so he was always prepared to respond to any sudden danger around him. But so far, nothing had happened.
The dream of the complete postmark seems quite different.
–I want to understand the situation here first. To be honest, I’ve only heard of the world of the complete postmark—I know far too little about it.–
–You’ll find out.–
About ten days later, Morris stood with him by the riverbank, pointing at a tribe across the water, scratching his head.
–These civilized tribes, and the town before—they all speak Chinese! Did you raise them from the primitive age, teaching them and helping them develop?–
–Mm-hmm.–
–Good heavens!! What do you want to do here—create a civilization that worships you?–
–That’s a good summary.–
Upon hearing this response, Morris was completely dumbfounded.
Yang Zicang crouched down, scooping up some clear water from the river with his hand, and said with ease:
–So, whenever I wish, your goal can be achieved very soon. It will only take a few decades—do you want to stay here for decades?–
Morris’s throat tightened as he swallowed hard.
–This is insane, Mr. ZiCang. Forget decades; even these past few days have driven me crazy. Yet you’ve been here for thousands of years.–
When he saw the first primitive tribe, Morris was a bit disappointed, but when he heard those people speaking Chinese, he began to realize what had happened.
After passing through several places and a small town, Morris’s thoughts started to stir with ideas.
But as he traversed more and more regions, and the people everywhere revered the legendary Undying King, he felt a deep tremor of awe, and his little schemes fizzled out.
–Mr. ZiCang, I think if you refuse, with your authority, I probably won’t be able to accomplish anything. How about this? Those orbs of ability were my impulsive idea, but for my friend, this might be one of the few chances he’ll ever get in his lifetime.–
He continued, –I want to leave him a bit more, so how about giving you one-third of the skill orbs?–
–No need, just give me ten.–
Morris opened his mouth to speak, and a surge of emotion welled up inside him.
–I can understand why you’re not a dictator here.–
–I can understand why you’re not a dictator here. You’re not even a king—you’re just someone living outside the world. Mr. ZiCang, you truly have a gentle heart.–
Yang Zicang beamed with a radiant smile.
King Wang and King Li would kill you if they heard that—and Zhang Fei too.
–So when do we start?– Morris asked eagerly.
–Whenever you like, but before that, I still want to confirm one thing.–
–What?–
Morris looked at the young man. As long as Yang Zicang was willing to cooperate, he could have the mightiest warriors of this world train in these skills at any time.
He now knew this world could accelerate time toward the future. In short, if all went smoothly, he could obtain at least seventy secret skill contracts within hours—contracts he could instantly master.
He was already imagining how shocked Boboli would be when he saw all the books he had gathered for him.
–Mr. Morris, I recall you said that when you entered this world while exchanging foreign currency at the bank, you immediately obtained a Moxel and gained the auxiliary ability to store Chronos. But you never specified how it works.–
–Me? Oh.–
He scratched his head awkwardly.
–My ability allows me to transfer lifespan to others via a medium without needing an Invest. But if you all were to use it, there’d be a ten-percent loss.–
–My greatest value probably lies in using media to store extra Chronos. The media can be any currency on Earth, or items with monetary attributes, such as gold or silver.–
–There should be restrictions, right? How long can it be stored?–
–No time limit, up to ten thousand years.–
This was truly a baffling ability. If it weren’t for dealing with the mysterious disappearance of high-Chronos individuals, no one would likely appreciate this power. Not even someone like President Wang would give it a second thought.
Morris fished a banknote out of his pocket.
It was something he carried everywhere. The triangle emblem on his chest flickered with light, and white radiance rose from his hand. He then handed the faintly glowing 1-dollar bill to Yang Zicang.
[Longevity Bank: 1r.]
[I can utilize the additional 1r.]
It truly was an ability worthy of the birth of a bank.
–It seems I can inject Chronos into it as well, but I can’t inject the amplified kind.–
–Yes, but other than me, you’ll all incur a ten percent loss when injecting Chronos. Be careful when handling it.–
Yang Zicang injected a principal of 10r worth of Chronos, and indeed, only 9r remained on it.
–Apart from large-scale battlefields like A-Class Crossroads, my ability is utterly useless,– Morris said dejectedly.
Although for those places that produce very high levels of Chronos, this ability could prevent some people from having issues due to accumulating too much Chronos, such places are actually very rare.
In each city, the number of teams that can stabilize an A-rank area might only be a handful, at most two or three.
–I don’t think your ability is that simple.–
–I’ve thought about it a lot. It could probably also be used as currency for transactions, but the loss involved is not something ordinary people are willing to bear.–
–Let’s conduct an experiment.–
Morris looked up at Yang Zicang, who had stood up, truly unsure how this man could bring about any special change to his ability.
–What do you want to do?–
–Wait and see.–
As the saying goes, summer insects cannot speak of ice, and cicadas do not know the spring and autumn.
Short-lived beings cannot witness the true face of the world, but what if they suddenly gained lengthy lifespans?
–This is…–
–Let’s go.–
He injected even more Chronos into the one-dollar bill and placed it on the two cicadas he had caught.
Then, the two people, grabbed by the shoulders by Yang Zicang, vanished from their spot, transported half a year into the future.
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