Sudden Wealth

"Sure enough, only when you have value do you qualify to be used..."

After leaving the Starlight Recycling Station, Tao Yu once again felt the way he had in the "Black House."

He wasn't afraid of being used. He was afraid of having no value to anyone at all.

Did Manager Liu Hong feel an instant connection with him?

No. He saw potential in Tao Yu—a sense of expectation and confidence.

Fifteen thousand units of Wish Power!

That was how much Wish Power Tao Yu had on him now.

A set of skills cost five thousand, but the bulk of his earnings came from that Blood Orchid, which had fetched more than twenty times its usual price!

When Tao Yu took out the Blood Orchid, he could clearly sense the other man's breathing quicken.

In the end, Liu Hong had offered ten thousand units of Wish Power not just for the Blood Orchid itself, but also for information about the general environment where it grew.

In truth, Tao Yu knew more about the Blood Orchid. For instance, it only bloomed once every several years.

But he hadn't said anything beyond what he should reasonably know.

Maybe more detailed information could have earned him money, but he might not live long enough to spend it...

This wasn't something Tao Yu could afford to dwell on for now. What he needed was resources and time to grow stronger.

Besides, Tao Yu had already planned to throw in some basic information about the Blood Orchid.

Li Le had gotten his hands on one too. If he teamed up with some big shot and tried to occupy that canyon long-term, Tao Yu—who knew the same secrets—would become an obstacle.

So he might as well sell the information as a bonus with the deal.

No matter how high the price or how great the profit, he couldn't hold on to it for now.

Fifteen thousand was already close to his limit.

"I still need strength."

Tao Yu didn't feel too bad about having eaten dozens of Blood Orchids.

Five wouldn't have been a problem, but if he'd pulled out fifty, there was no telling whether he'd have made it out alive.

Manager Liu seemed like the sort who believed in making money through peaceful dealings, but Tao Yu clearly couldn't afford to test anyone's humanity. He'd even bluntly admitted that he was afraid people would covet the orchids, and that he'd eaten most of them. Safety first.

Fifteen thousand units of Wish Power—Tao Yu had never been so wealthy. Even his entire family had never had that much money.

First, he spent a little over three hundred units of Wish Power to complete his nearly finished second Xenomorph skill.

As the Wish Power drained away, Tao Yu felt the contours of his muscles shift ever so slightly. A tingling sensation, like a mild electric shock, ran through his body as it adapted to the skill, subtly improving him without his conscious effort.

Ambush: Xenomorph: When attacking an enemy who hasn't noticed you, you always find the most vulnerable spot, increasing your explosive power.

It was a very useful skill. An ambush sharpened his neural responses and gave him a hunter's instinct, letting his body reflexively deliver the right attack without having to think. Overall, the Xenomorph's two skills were much better than the giant python's.

Without hesitation, he poured in the Deification cost—a hefty two hundred units of Wish Power, even more than the Breathing Technique.

Ambush: Enhanced: Move with the shadows. Your first close-range attack after emerging can unleash all the Shadow Power accumulated while concealed.

Damn, it linked directly with both of his concealment skills!

Since the skill had been directly implanted into his consciousness, Tao Yu immediately grasped how it worked.

Both his concealment skills let him meld into the shadows, and their effects could stack. Before, though, the mental energy he spent staying hidden and the stamina he used to move quickly while concealed were simply gone once spent.

Now, all that energy would become Shadow Power, accumulating over time. The longer he stayed concealed and the farther he ran, the more Shadow Power he would build up. He could release it all with his first strike!

That was incredible. It was one of the few ways Tao Yu could boost his explosive power without hurting himself in return.

"Shame it only works in close combat. It'd be great if I could add it to bullets."

Tao Yu was delighted, but he still couldn't help wanting more. Maybe the next enhancement would let him do that?

With more than ten thousand units of Wish Power, Tao Yu could save up a little more and Deify the relatively cheap Basic Combat: Enhanced again, making it his first skill to undergo a second Deification.

But he wasn't considering that just yet.

His body's potential hadn't been fully developed. The Blood Orchids had raised his limits, and he still hadn't fully made use of the improvements from Deifying the Breathing Technique.

Considering the cost of a second Deification now would be poor value for money.

"First, I'll learn the free skills and the half-price ones, then pour everything into raising my proficiency. I'll make sure my overall strength improves again before I enter the Abyss."

Fifteen thousand units of Wish Power might sound like a lot, but even when put to use, they still wouldn't be enough to fully develop his current potential.

It was a fortune his parents would have needed at least fifteen years to save—five years if they spent nothing on food or other necessities.

Suppressing the stirrings in his heart, Tao Yu set off down the now-crowded street toward the only dojo in Hound Stronghold.

As he listened to the vendors hawking their wares and smelled the earthy odors of everyday life, he quickened his pace.

He soon arrived at the entrance to the largest courtyard in the stronghold.

The outer perimeter of the stronghold was made from discarded oil drums and wire fencing, but this courtyard was lavishly enclosed by a large wall of uniform stone.

From outside, he could faintly hear the rhythmic cries of "Hah! Hah!" coming from within. The students had clearly started training.

The Myriad Flow Dojo—the only dojo in Hound Stronghold, and one of the best in the Outer City.

Its five signature styles were Tiger, Crane, Python, Bear, and Ape. Each cost five thousand to learn, and mastery wasn't guaranteed.

The dojo also taught everything from firearms training to combat, weapons, the Basic Breathing Technique, footwork, and climbing.

It even offered standalone techniques for generating force, such as explosive power.

Prices varied.

But even the cheapest skill cost eight hundred units of Wish Power.

Anyone from the Outer City who could pay to study here all at once was at least fairly well-off, or came from a family with money.

Though some people used Skill Loans.

In the past, anyone with a Combat Talent could get a Skill Loan here, with a nine-for-thirteen annual interest rate and installment payments that compounded over time.

By Outer City standards, that was an exceptionally generous rate.

From the dojo's perspective, even if a student died on an Abyss mission and couldn't repay the loan, all they lost was a little time spent teaching. It was an entirely acceptable risk.

This greatly expanded the pool of people who could afford to study there.

Those with a Combat Talent had most likely already reached a company settlement. Their chances of survival were far higher than they had been on Awakening Day. And a Combat Talent also meant they were likely capable of repaying the loan, making it a sure thing.

Likewise, those with a Combat Talent who came from poor families and desperately needed a few starter skills often chose to borrow money to get through the tough early stages.

The dojo's registration desk stood outside the wall, completely open to the elements.

There was just a sign saying "Registration," an old wooden table, and a young man in a gray uniform sitting behind it.

The registration desk had been fairly quiet whenever Tao Yu had passed by before. This time, though, he saw a line forming.

He recognized quite a few faces at a glance.

Several were survivors from this time around. With Tao Yu's Dynamic Vision, once he'd seen them, he didn't forget them easily.

"They're all here to get things for free. But I get it. Five thousand for a skill—probably the most expensive rate in the Outer City."

Tao Yu figured that whether it was the half-price package, a Skill Loan, or a free skill slot, it made sense to use it on the most expensive skills.

Wasn't that what he was planning to do too?

But from the look on the young man's face at the registration desk, Tao Yu could tell the Myriad Flow Dojo itself probably wasn't too happy about it.

Maybe the company had forced them to teach at a low price—or even for free...