Capacitor Arrows

Capacitor Arrows

As Earth's hub in the Star Realm, Olympia City had naturally become the largest gathering place.

From national armies and official institutions, to major corporations, companies, and Star Realm exploration groups, down to Hunting Teams and Aberrants, all had to pass through Olympia City.

Every street in Olympia was bustling.

All commercial activity revolved around one principle: serving Aberrants.

Under the starry night, the fluorescent plants lining both sides of the streets lit up.

The plants came in many colors, and together with the glow of crystal streetlamps, illuminated pedestrians dressed in bizarre attire.

Laughter drifted from the alleys by the street, mixed with women's crisp giggles. Dirty jokes and the smell of alcohol wafted out onto the road.

Even in the Star Realm, there was no shortage of glittering nightlife.

Aberrants moved in groups. Some wore full suits of armor that revealed only their eyes, while others wore specially made robes and had ferocious combat pets at their sides.

Others wore casual clothes with no defensive function at all, like modern people who had traveled back to ancient times, looking completely out of place.

Ji Xinghuo was one of them.

Almost everyone who passed by glanced at him in surprise.

He felt rather awkward. His clothes were perfectly normal on Earth, but in the Star Realm, they made him stand out.

In the Star Realm, people of every profession wore all kinds of armor to improve their defenses.

The fewer close-combat options an Aberrant had, the more they needed armor.

Anyone who went without it was an idiot.

"Equipment Mall!"

After walking through two blocks in the East Xia District, Ji Xinghuo finally spotted a large equipment mall.

He had actually passed several armor shops along the way, but they had been small. Small shops were more likely to rip people off, so he trusted large chain malls more—preferably reputable publicly listed companies known back on Earth.

The three-story equipment mall was packed with customers.

Aberrants constantly streamed in and out.

Ji Xinghuo followed them inside. A male sales clerk waiting by the entrance spotted him, and his eyes immediately lit up. He hurried over before any of the others could.

The other clerks nearby could not help regretting that they had been a step too slow.

"Hello, sir. Are you here to purchase equipment?"

Ji Xinghuo looked at the overly enthusiastic clerk. The other man was about his age and was clearly an Elementary Esper, with an eager smile on his face.

Ji Xinghuo did not let himself appear inexperienced. He nodded expressionlessly. "Show me around."

"Certainly. Please follow me."

This equipment supermarket had an extremely comprehensive selection. It sold every weapon, protective item, consumable, and other tool Aberrants used that could be found on the market, all clearly priced. Any individual category might not match the specialized high-end brands, but it was still among the second-best.

Ji Xinghuo had already done his research online before entering the Star Realm.

Many Aberrants who had spent years adventuring in the Star Realm posted reviews of various pieces of equipment across social media platforms based on their own experiences.

There were detailed videos and articles covering practicality, quality, value for money, strengths, weaknesses, and more.

Some bloggers had obviously accepted sponsorships, but overall, their reviews were still trustworthy.

Ji Xinghuo had made his own shopping list.

More than an hour later, the sales clerk followed beside Ji Xinghuo, pushing a shopping cart already filled with more than a dozen weapons and pieces of equipment of various sizes.

The clerk could barely contain his excitement.

The equipment in the cart was already worth more than 600,000 Asia Yuan. He might not encounter a customer who spent so directly and decisively even once every few months.

He had practically completed three or four days' worth of sales without any effort.

"Mr. Ji, is there anything else you need?"

"Take me to the archery section. I need to buy some arrows." Ji Xinghuo thought about it. This should be the last item on his list.

The two soon arrived at the archery section.

Ji Xinghuo saw various hunting bows on display, mostly compound bows, with a smaller number of traditional bows and barebows. Beside them was the accessories section, which had every accessory one could want.

He bought a large-capacity Magnetic Arrow Quiver that could hold up to 150 arrows. A magnetic ring at the bottom held the arrowheads in place. It hung diagonally behind the waist, preventing the arrows from easily falling out while moving.

This Magnetic Arrow Quiver cost 3,000 Asia Yuan.

He then bought a compound bow maintenance tool kit, which came with two spare bowstrings and two pulley sets, spending another 1,000-plus Asia Yuan.

Then came the arrows.

At the Archery Hall, Ji Xinghuo had always used training arrows. Their arrowheads were streamlined, and both their lethality and penetration were far inferior to hunting arrowheads.

Hunting arrowheads came in many varieties as well, with every company and brand having its own specialties.

After looking around the arrow section, Ji Xinghuo had a clear idea of what he needed.

Arrowheads, shafts, and fletching were sold separately.

For heavily protected targets, he bought thirty solid Armor-Piercing Arrowheads, paired with heavier, thicker shafts for greater armor-piercing power. For low-defense targets, he bought thirty hollow triangular "Black Widow" arrowheads, which were incredibly sharp and could create larger wounds and cause massive blood loss. He also bought ninety Willow Leaf Arrowheads, mainly for ordinary targets at longer ranges.

Arrow shafts also came in different materials and weights: 30 grams, 40 grams, and 50 grams. The heavier shafts were paired with heavier draw-weight bows for close-range targets.

The fletching also came in three-feather and four-feather types, as well as helical and straight configurations, controlling the arrows' speed and accuracy.

He could usually assemble different arrows in advance for whatever situation arose.

In an emergency, he could also quickly change the arrowheads and assemble more suitable arrows.

Following Ji Xinghuo's requirements, the sales clerk gathered a large bag of arrowheads, shafts, and fletching, carefully packed them, and placed them in the shopping cart.

These arrows cost another 10,000-plus Asia Yuan.

"Mr. Ji, are you a Ranger?" the sales clerk suddenly asked.

"Yes."

"From your selection of arrows, Mr. Ji, I can tell your archery skills must be exceptional—far better than a half-baked Ranger like me." After flattering him a little, the clerk said, "Our store received a batch of special arrows last week. Would you be interested?"

Ji Xinghuo had already bought everything he needed. Hearing that the clerk was also a Ranger, he raised an eyebrow. "What kind of special arrows?"

"Capacitor Arrows."

Ji Xinghuo stopped in his tracks. He had heard of these arrows. They were manufactured according to electrical principles, but the materials came from the Star Realm, making them extremely expensive.

When a Capacitor Arrow struck a target, it released a high-voltage current, combining wounding power with an Electric Shock effect.

They were extremely powerful!

Of course, their price was equally outrageous.

If Ji Xinghuo had been an ordinary Ranger, he would have had little interest in Capacitor Arrows. But he possessed a Rotating Magnetic Field, and Capacitor Arrows could unleash far greater killing power in his hands!

"Take me to see them."

"Certainly!"

The sales clerk's eyes filled with surprise and delight.

He casually asked every customer who came to buy arrows and tried to promote Capacitor Arrows. He had not expected Ji Xinghuo to actually seem interested in buying them.

The two went to a VIP room in the mall. Before long, the sales clerk returned with someone who looked like a mall supervisor, carrying a box.

"Mr. Ji, these are the Capacitor Arrows."

The supervisor naturally took over from the sales clerk, opened the box, took out a silver-white arrow, and handed it to Ji Xinghuo.

"Please take a look."

Ji Xinghuo accepted it. The arrow weighed around 45 grams, felt cold to the touch, and was extremely tough. It should have been made from some kind of metal.

The arrow's magnetic field was extremely strong. Magnetic field lines filled it with a peculiar kind of "beauty." It was clearly no ordinary metal.

"The primary material of the Capacitor Arrow is Yttrium-Iron Superconducting Alloy."

The mall supervisor explained, "Its internal structure is a variation of a capacitor. The arrowhead and tail are the capacitor's two poles, while the rear section contains an Ether piezoelectric crystal unique to the Star Realm. When force deforms it, it generates a high-voltage current, turning the entire arrow into an electrostatic field. When fired and it hits a target, it instantly releases all its charge, producing a high-temperature Electric Shock effect."

"Even without triggering the Electric Shock, the arrow itself is highly lethal."

"If you possess an ability related to electrical currents, you can amplify it with a stronger current while shooting, increasing its power."

The man continued enthusiastically introducing the Capacitor Arrow, but Ji Xinghuo stopped listening and asked directly, "How much?"

"12,000 Asia Yuan per arrow."

Ji Xinghuo instinctively shook his head. The 150 arrows he had just bought had cost only a little over 10,000 Asia Yuan in total, yet a single Capacitor Arrow was more expensive than all of them combined.

He put the Capacitor Arrow back into the box. "Too expensive."

"Mr. Ji, you know the price of superconducting alloys. They are priced by the gram, and Yttrium-Iron Superconducting Alloy is one of the rarest superconducting metals. If our mall sold it too cheaply, you might instead suspect its quality." The supervisor patiently explained, eager to close the deal.

Superconducting alloys were among the most valuable resources in the Star Realm, with an enormous market value.

Ever since scientists discovered superconducting materials centuries ago, they had been trying to find materials capable of room-temperature superconductivity, but had never succeeded.

That was until the Star Gates opened.

The nations of Earth discovered that superconducting mines could form in the Star Realm. Once mined and refined, they yielded superconducting materials with various properties, most of them natural alloys.

These superconducting alloys could be used at room temperature, and even high-temperature environments did not affect their performance.

The emergence of superconducting alloys had greatly accelerated Earth's technological development.

The most common examples were Superconducting Highways, Maglev Cars, Vacuum Tube Maglev Trains, as well as Superconducting Shield Arrays powered by nuclear fusion energy, Aerospace Fighters, and more. They had profoundly influenced Earth's progress.

As far as Ji Xinghuo knew, Yttrium-Iron Superconducting Alloy had a very low output, and its price had always remained high.

"If I buy ten, how much of a discount can you give me?"

The mall supervisor thought for several seconds before gritting his teeth. "I can lower it to 10,000 Asia Yuan at most. That is the greatest discount I can offer. Any lower, and it would be beyond my authority."

"Fine. Pack them up for me." Ji Xinghuo did not haggle further.

Both the supervisor and the sales clerk looked delighted.

A moment later.

Ji Xinghuo walked out of the equipment mall wearing a set of camouflage armor. This lightweight armor, made from composite ceramic steel, was the most expensive piece of equipment he had bought today.

It cost a full 480,000 Asia Yuan! A Flat-Head Goose-Wing Saber worth 18,000 Asia Yuan hung at his waist, along with a wilderness survival tactical dagger worth 9,000 Asia Yuan.

On his left wrist was an Astral Mechanical Watch with a fifty-hour dial. Once calibrated, it could indicate the daily transitions between day, star, and night.

His double-shoulder backpack contained a lightweight tent, a sleeping bag, a first-aid kit with seven kinds of medicine, a compound bow maintenance tool kit, a small amount of compressed biscuits, and a water collector. Even the backpack was costly, priced at over 1,000 Asia Yuan.

Including the Magnetic Arrow Quiver, 150 ordinary arrows, and 10 Capacitor Arrows.

Ji Xinghuo had spent a total of 780,000 Asia Yuan on this shopping trip! Including the "Yi Feng" Compound Hunting Bow Lu Yunhai had given him, the total value of all his equipment exceeded 800,000 Asia Yuan, putting him on par with most Rangers.

Walking down the street dressed in this full set of gear, he now looked perfectly normal.

Ji Xinghuo did not return to the inn. Instead, he turned and entered a "recruitment center" near the mall, intending to see whether there was a suitable team he could join.