Chapter Four: The Bone House (Rare)
No longer fussing over the tattoo on his hand, Wang Xiao opened the trading channel. He intended to exchange some items: seasonings, a pot, and tableware. As the top-ranked player on the leaderboard, a high-quality life was essential.
He spent only two cans of food to get everything he needed. Wang Xiao also noticed another item—a Tent Upgrade Card! The seller’s requirements were simple: anything that could increase their strength.
Wang Xiao contacted the seller without hesitation.
“Ahem, hello.”
“Wow! Is this Boss Wang?!”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Boss, do you need anything?”
“I’d like to purchase your Tent Upgrade Card.”
“Sure, sure! What would you like to exchange for it?”
“Ten pounds of dragon meat! One pound of dragon meat can raise your power by one to two points.”
“Uh, that’s a lot, Boss. My card isn’t worth that much.”
“Haha, don’t worry about it. I just think you seem alright.”
“Boss, can we add each other as friends?”
“Of course.”
[Item: Tent Upgrade Card!
Soul cost: 1000]
“Use!”
[Consumed: Dragon Bone Wing ×1, Tent ×1, Tent Upgrade Card ×1, Soul ×1000]
[You have obtained Bone House (Rare): Excellent defense; the subtle pressure of a dragon keeps all creatures below Tier Five from approaching easily.]
A sparkling, translucent bone house appeared before Wang Xiao. It was much larger than his original tent, but most importantly, it could store items—a function the tent lacked.
Feeling quite content, Wang Xiao took out the seasonings he’d traded for earlier, ready to prepare a sumptuous meal. The fragrant dragon meat whetted his appetite.
After eating and drinking his fill, Wang Xiao turned to the chat channel to socialize.
He soon noticed a recurring topic in the chat.
“Has anyone gotten a [Dueling Arena Admission Ticket]? What a rip-off!”
“I know, right? I chose Easy Mode and still got wrecked—couldn’t win at all!”
“So how are you still alive?”
“I wasted a Substitute Puppet! (crying)”
“Impressive!”
“You enter and immediately face a Tier Two monster. How are we supposed to fight that?!”
“What’s Tier Two?”
“100 power is Tier One, 500 is Tier Two, 2500 is Tier Three, and so on—multiply the previous tier’s power by five each time.”
“Dang, I only have 13 power.”
“So 499 power is what tier?”
“Are you stupid? Tier One, obviously.”
“Some people really do forget their brains at home.”
“Maybe eat more brain platinum, sigh.”
“So young and already so clueless. What a pity.”
“You guys, answer my question, will you?! (angry)”
“Idiot, it’s Tier One, obviously.”
“Wait, isn’t that idiot the second place on our kill leaderboard?”
“???”
“???”
“???”
“When the suona plays, your parents’ efforts are wasted.”
“Haha, what are you afraid of? Come fight me if you dare!”
“Yeah, come at me!”
“What’s there to fear? You can’t find me anyway!”
“Brothers, we actually have a chance to meet. Today, I ran into someone. We didn’t disturb each other—just quietly walked away in opposite directions.”
“Wait, were you wearing beast hide armor?”
“No way! Was that you?”
“Yes! That was me!”
...
“This is getting interesting. If I ever run into a girl in black stockings... hehe.”
With pleasant fantasies, Wang Xiao drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, after a simple yet hearty breakfast, Wang Xiao noticed many private messages in the chat channel.
“Hey handsome~ I’m good at everything~ just need a little bit of supplies~”
“Bro! Are you selling any dragon meat?”
“Boss! Can I trade a Disperser for your dragon meat?”
“Can you tell me how you killed a Tier Five dragon? I’ll reward you!”
“Cousin, I’m your long-lost brother!”
“Any unused gear? I’ll buy at a high price!”
“Master, I created a private group with a special item. Would you like to join?”
...
The flood of messages became overwhelming; the early ones were normal, but later they grew stranger.
Wang Xiao traded two pounds of dragon meat for a Disperser. Good—he now had four dispersals today.
Looking at the invitation to the group chat, Wang Xiao considered for a moment and decided to join.
[Wang Xiao has joined the group chat!]
“Oh wow! The boss is here!”
“Welcome, welcome!”
“Welcome, welcome!”
“Welcome, welcome!”
[Wang Xiao has been made administrator!]
“Awesome!”
“Awesome!”
“Awesome!”
“Boss really is different.”
[Group owner has muted the chat]
“Everyone, this is a mutual aid group. If you have any temptations—er, I mean questions—feel free to ask.”
“And if you need to trade supplies, you can do it here too.”
“We can also share information here.”
[Mute lifted]
“Fellow Wu Yanzus, please look after your little brother here. (dog head)”
“Same here.”
“Same.”
“Same.”
“Nonsense! Who here is Wu Yanzu? None of you qualify! You’re all Peng Yuyan wannabes. (peeping)”
“Damn, I almost lost control of my blade. (wry)”
“So we’re all on the same side.”
“I’m bringing my forty-meter blade... to slice a watermelon for you.”
“Damn... Even Cao Cao says you’re handsome~”
Wang Xiao burst out laughing at their banter.
Then a message drew everyone’s attention.
“Everyone, I have a Night Parade of a Hundred Demons Admission Ticket—the team version. Any big shots want to carry me? @Wang Xiao.”
“Whoa!”
“Whoa!”
“Whoa!”
“Wow!”
“You’re acting a bit odd up there.”
Wang Xiao replied, “I can.”
The person responded promptly, “Thank you, boss! (bows)”
“I’ll let you know when it’s time, boss.”
Wang Xiao didn’t pay further attention to the group unless someone tagged him.
Name: Wang Xiao
Power: 123
Skills: [Spit (Excellent), Effect: Absolute Taunt]; [Body Art (Epic), Effect: Tenfold Power Damage]; [Peppa Pig Tattoo (Legendary), Effect: Absorb Strength?]
Items: Bone House (Rare), Dragon Bone, Dragon Meat, Dragon Blood, Death Pill, Mighty Hammer (Excellent)
Soul: 90,000
Dispersals: 4
Rating: Come on! Fight for your life!
Glancing at his very satisfying status panel, Wang Xiao smiled. His skills might look a bit ridiculous, but they were truly powerful.
Picking a random direction, Wang Xiao began his first dispersal of the day.
The familiar scene unfolded as the mist gradually cleared.
A creature resembling a wild boar stood in the center.
Wang Xiao sneered and dashed forward with a slide tackle.
The monster was instantly defeated.
A slight heat tingled on Wang Xiao’s hand, and a small fang-shaped tattoo appeared, then quickly faded. Wang Xiao noticed his power had increased by three.
As for any other effects, Wang Xiao wasn’t sure yet.