Enhancement (Part 1)

"Regarding enhancement of one's own attributes, the Main God has divided human qualities into six major categories: Intelligence, Mental Power, Cell Vitality, Nerve Reaction Speed, Muscle Strength, and Immunity Strength. According to my experiments and understanding, Intelligence should be related to memory and the speed of thinking. I'm not very clear on Mental Power, since there's no way to test it. Cell Vitality should be the body's recovery ability. The stronger your Cell Vitality, the faster you recover after being injured."

"Nerve Reaction Speed and Muscle Strength produce the most obvious results after enhancement, and they're also the most useful to us. Nerve Reaction Speed gives you faster reactions, allowing you to see objects moving at high speed. Once enhanced to a certain extent, you can even see the trajectory of a bullet. Of course, Nerve Reaction Speed alone isn't enough, because your body can't keep up with your neural reactions. That's why Muscle Strength is so important. The greater your Muscle Strength, the greater your power, and likewise, the faster you can move. Not only that, Muscle Strength also increases your body's toughness. Otherwise, when you exert too much force, your body could easily break apart. That's its main purpose."

"The final category is Immunity Strength. This is also very important. If your immunity is strong enough, then in horror movies like Resident Evil 1, at least you won't be infected by the virus."

Zhang Jie explained his experience to the other three and continued, "That's basically it for enhancements. Next are exchanged items. First, I suggest that you two don't exchange for any items. Put all the Reward Points you earned this time into the four categories of Cell Vitality, Nerve Reaction Speed, Muscle Strength, and Immunity Strength. Focus especially on Nerve Reaction Speed and Muscle Strength. Otherwise, with your current physical condition, another long-distance run would be enough to drag you down."

Then Zhang Jie turned to Zheng Zha and said, "Now it's up to you. You have one B-Class Side Story and 6,500 Reward Points, so I suggest you directly exchange for a body mutation enhancement. As for which one, that's up to you. Then use part of your remaining Reward Points to enhance your physical attributes and another part to exchange for weapons. In short, in the coming horror movies, you should be the strongest among us. I think it'd be best if you exchanged for a weapon from the Magic and Legends category."

Zheng Zha nodded. "That's what I was thinking too. Among all the horror movies I've watched, the ones with the greatest chance of death are supernatural ghost stories like Ju-On: The Grudge, things that can't be explained by science. The first horror movie you experienced, A Nightmare on Elm Street, can also be classified in this category. So I plan to exchange for a weapon capable of killing those kinds of ghosts and monsters. I just don't know if it'll be too expensive."

Zhang Jie smiled. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go take a look now. When we get back, I'll have Na'er cook you something delicious. Haha, let's go."

All four of them eagerly walked toward the ball of light at the center of the plaza. This was especially true for Zheng Zha and the other two, who were exchanging for enhancements for the first time. From this moment onward, they would surpass ordinary humans. Zheng Zha in particular would undergo a far greater degree of enhancement than the others. Anyone would be the same—when facing the prospect of surpassing ordinary people, excitement alone was not enough to express the exhilaration in their hearts.

Zheng Zha stood beneath the ball of light and steadied himself. When he closed his eyes, he once again felt connected to the Main God, and the exchange platform with its four major categories appeared in his mind.

"First, let's see what physical enhancement attributes are available."

With a thought from Zheng Zha, the auxiliary category list rapidly opened. All the physical enhancement attributes appeared before him. After thinking it over, he selected only the B-Class and C-Class physical enhancements. Yet even those two categories alone contained dozens of enhancement options, leaving Zheng Zha dizzy.

"Spider-Man Gene Mutation Bloodline. Rating: 83 points. Suitable for horror movies requiring high agility. The Spider-Silk skill can be used under any circumstances. Requires one B-Class Horror Movie Side Story and 2,000 Reward Points."

"Advanced Qigong Enhancement. Rating: 87 points. Suitable for horror movies requiring close combat. The Advanced Internal Force Circulation Route skill can greatly strengthen one's Internal Force and drastically improve physical attributes for a short period of time. Requires one B-Class Horror Movie Side Story, 2,500 Reward Points, and Intermediate Qigong Enhancement."

"Advanced Werewolf Mutation Bloodline. Rating: 88 points. Suitable for most horror movies. The Werewolf Transformation skill allows bodily transformation, drastically improving physical attributes for a short period of time and increasing bodily hardness and recovery ability. Because it is a mutation bloodline, the user will not be controlled by werewolf instincts. Requires one B-Class Horror Movie Side Story, 2,700 Reward Points, and Beginner Werewolf Bloodline."

"Vampire Count Mutation Bloodline. Rating: 90 points. Suitable for most horror movies. The Vampire energy skill allows the use of certain vampire abilities. Count-level vampires possess greatly increased vitality. As long as the brain and heart are not destroyed, the body can continuously recover. Because it is a mutation bloodline, the user will not fear sunlight, silver, and so on. Requires one B-Class Horror Movie Side Story, 3,000 Reward Points, and Vampire Viscount Mutation Bloodline."

"High-radiation mutation genes..."

Zheng Zha finally understood what Zhang Jie had meant before. No wonder Zhang Jie had laughed while browsing. These body mutation enhancements were truly bizarre. They even had werewolves and vampires, not to mention qigong enhancements. Who knew what other strange things might appear?

As he thought about it, an idea suddenly struck him. He hurriedly checked the A-Class physical enhancement list. Sure enough, it also contained body enhancements such as Top-tier Qigong, werewolf bloodlines, and vampire bloodlines. The prerequisite for these enhancements was the corresponding enhancement from the B-Class list.

After considering it, Zheng Zha suddenly asked in his mind, "Main God, let me ask something. Can I choose two bloodlines at once, or two gene mutations at once?"

After waiting a moment, the voice replied, "Yes, but unpredictable consequences may occur. The two different genes may devour or proliferate against each other. There is a seventy percent chance that you may become a nonhuman entity."

That meant he might turn into a monster, right? Zheng Zha nodded. He had already decided on his enhancement path. First, he converted his B-Class Side Story into three C-Class Side Stories. Then he kept two C-Class Side Stories and converted one C-Class Side Story into three D-Class Side Stories. That way, he could enhance himself four times: first, exchange for one D-Class Low-level Qigong Enhancement; then one D-Class Vampire Baron Mutation Bloodline Enhancement; then one C-Class Intermediate Qigong Enhancement; and one C-Class Vampire Viscount Mutation Bloodline Enhancement. That would leave him with exactly one unused D-Class Side Story.

"Low-level Qigong costs 500 Reward Points, Vampire Baron costs 800 Reward Points, Intermediate Qigong costs 1,200 Reward Points, and Vampire Viscount costs 1,500 Reward Points. That's... that's fucking expensive."

After Zheng Zha calculated it, the enhancements would cost him 4,000 Reward Points. Heaven knew, he only had 6,502 Reward Points in total, and he had earned those only by desperately completing a Side Story. More than half would be gone in one stroke. Gritting his teeth, he conveyed his intention to the Main God. Then he felt as though he were soaking in hot water. A warm sensation made his entire body incomparably comfortable. One current of energy sank into his lower abdomen, while another rose into his head. Before he knew it, he felt so languid that he was about to fall asleep.

However, the three people around him were staring in stunned disbelief. Before their eyes, a pillar of light shot down from the Main God, enveloping Zheng Zha. Then Zheng Zha began to float upward, rising several meters into the air. Countless tiny particles continuously shot from the pillar of light into his body. This continued for several minutes.

Zhang Jie stared wide-eyed and shouted, "Honey, come out and see God!"

Li Xiaoyi also said dumbly, "He... he ascended again. Huh? Why did I say 'again'?"

Compared to the two men's helpless confusion, Zhan Lan was much calmer. She suddenly asked Zhang Jie, "Our physical attribute enhancements shouldn't be that exaggerated, right?"

Zhang Jie calmed down as well. "No. Once you choose the attribute points you want to enhance, some particles fall from the Main God onto your body. Then you can clearly feel your strength, speed, and other aspects improving. Judging by how dramatic Zheng Zha's reaction is, the body enhancements he exchanged for must be very powerful."

Several more minutes passed before Zheng Zha slowly descended back to the ground. When the other three looked at him, they all felt something strange. Zheng Zha had originally been fairly handsome, but only in an ordinary way. Yet now, when they looked at him, they saw a kind of bewitching beauty in his face. It was not very obvious, but all three genuinely had that impression.

Zheng Zha also felt the warm sensation disappear. He hurriedly examined his physical attributes: Intelligence 187, Mental Power 232, Cell Vitality 321, Nerve Reaction Speed 287, Muscle Strength 302, Immunity Strength 331. The numbers immediately startled him. He had never expected that after exchanging for several low-level body enhancements, his physical attributes would become so powerful. They had nearly surpassed those of an ordinary person by three times.

He hurriedly looked at the special skills attached to his two body enhancements: Internal Force and Vampire energy. Internal Force was described as the life energy produced within the body's meridians. It would automatically recover and grow stronger as it circulated through the meridians. As Internal Force became stronger, the body's attributes would gradually improve as well. Vampire energy, on the other hand, was described as a biological energy unique to vampires, with the Blood Core in the brain as its energy core. It could be used to activate certain vampire abilities.

Zheng Zha finally opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the three people standing beside him, all looking at him with strange expressions.

"What is it? Did I change?"

Zheng Zha nervously touched his face and carefully inspected his entire body. He was afraid that the bloodline and gene enhancements had turned him into a monster. Fortunately, after checking himself, he found nothing particularly abnormal. He immediately shouted, "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you know you'll scare someone to death?"

The three of them smiled awkwardly. Zhang Jie hurriedly said, "How is it? Tell us what enhancements you chose. What are your physical attributes now?"

Zheng Zha smiled. "I converted my B-Class Side Story into C-Class and D-Class ones. Then I enhanced Beginner Qigong and Intermediate Qigong. I also chose the vampire mutation bloodline enhancement. I'm a viscount-level vampire now." He then told them his physical attributes.

The three listened with envy and admiration. Zhan Lan suddenly touched her forehead. "Actually, I've been thinking about something. Do you think those immortals, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and other legendary things might really have existed before? Maybe they were people who survived and left this space. Perhaps this space has existed since ancient times. Maybe there were no horror movies back then, but there were still horror legends and scary stories. People entered this place, completed one scenario after another, enhanced themselves, and eventually perhaps left."

The three men were absorbed by her words. Zhan Lan continued, "Whether immortals, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, or even gods, the first generation is usually the strongest. Perhaps the first generation were people who left from this space. They passed their power down to their descendants, but the descendants gradually became weaker as that power faded. Do you think that's possible?"

Li Xiaoyi suddenly asked, "Then where did this space come from? It can even grant Divine Bloodlines for exchange. So who created this space?"

Zhan Lan waved a hand. "Maybe real gods. Maybe some demons. Who knows? In any case, the origin of this space is a mystery. Oh, right, Zheng Zha, did your body enhancements give you any skills?"

Zheng Zha said, "Yeah, I got Internal Force and Vampire energy, but I still haven't figured out exactly what they are. It feels like there's a warm mass in my lower abdomen, and whenever I concentrate, it feels as if something in my mind is about to burst out. What about you two? Have you finished enhancing your physical attributes?"

Zhan Lan and Li Xiaoyi exchanged a smile. Li Xiaoyi especially suddenly leaped two meters into the air. After landing, he said excitedly, "I feel like my body is filled with strength, and I can see everything around me unusually clearly. What about you, Brother Zheng?"

Only after hearing that did Zheng Zha realize that everything around him seemed as clean and transparent as if washed by water. He could even see the key marks on the handle of a distant door. At a thought, he suddenly jumped, launching himself more than three meters into the air. After landing, he pushed off hard with his feet and shot toward Zhang Jie and the others like an arrow. He darted through the three of them and returned to his original position. Of the three, only Zhang Jie's eyes had been able to follow him.

"So... so amazing!"

Zhan Lan and Li Xiaoyi sighed at the same time, but Zhang Jie burst into laughter. "Great! Hurry up and test your two skills. You used Side Stories to enhance them, after all. Oh, right, go look at those High-tech Weapons. One D-Class Side Story can get you an excellent weapon, but you used two C-Class and two D-Class Side Stories on enhancements. Your two skills must be incredibly strong."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zha immediately connected to the Main God again. This time, he browsed the High-tech Weapons. There was indeed an enormous variety of everything: bows, shields, and long swords; machine guns, bombs, and rocket launchers; even more advanced weapons such as laser swords, plasma guns, and energy cannons. Most outrageously, Zheng Zha even saw piloted combat robots. Those required 20,000 Reward Points and one A-Class Side Story.

He should look at something more practical. Zheng Zha carefully examined modern weapons. Weapons with limited ammunition were very cheap. A small shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile cost only fifty Reward Points. But the same weapon with unlimited ammunition cost 2,000 Reward Points. Once a weapon had unlimited ammunition, the exchange cost was at least twenty times greater than for an ordinary weapon. The advantage was that it could be used continuously without worrying about ammunition.

Then Zheng Zha looked at weapons from the Magic and Legends category. He was not unfamiliar with these, since he had played similar fantasy magic games before and could basically draw on those games for reference. Consumable magic scrolls only needed to be torn open to activate. These scrolls were also cheap, generally only twice as expensive as grenades. A Thunderbolt Scroll cost thirty Reward Points, while a Frost Chain Scroll cost only fifty Reward Points. Most other weapons were close-combat weapons, such as a faintly glowing longsword called Light of Purification, which cost 1,000 Reward Points, and an Evil-Warding Peachwood Sword, which cost 1,200 Reward Points.

Zheng Zha had actually considered what weapon he should use. He felt that as a person's physical attributes became stronger, their reliance on projectile High-tech Weapons would become weaker. For example, once his attributes were strong enough, he could move faster than bullets, have muscles tough enough that bullets could not penetrate them, and possess enough strength to pierce an enemy with one finger. A person like that would definitely be more powerful with a dagger than with a handgun.

Combined with Zheng Zha's constant fear of supernatural horror movies involving spirits and monsters, he decided to choose a weapon from the Magic and Legends category, a close-combat weapon that could kill those supernatural creatures.

As Zheng Zha carefully searched, a ring caught his attention. The ring was called Na. Yes, only one character: Na. It was precisely that unusual one-character name that attracted Zheng Zha.

Its description read: A Spirit Artifact created through Cultivation Techniques. It can store approximately 1.5 cubic meters of objects. It can be activated by any of four energies: Internal Force, True Essence, Immortal Spiritual Power, or Divine Covenant Power. Once activated, it produces an energy layer several centimeters outside the user's fist. This energy layer inflicts tremendous damage on spiritual lifeforms.

Zheng Zha's heart skipped a beat. This was practically the perfect weapon for him: close combat, an energy layer, and it could be activated with Internal Force. Another unexpected delight was that it could store about 1.5 cubic meters of objects. That would allow him to bring extra food and medicine, just in case something unexpected happened in a horror movie.

"Good. I'll take it, even if it's a little expensive..."

It cost 1,500 Reward Points and one D-Class Side Story. In the end, Zheng Zha did not manage to save even a single D-Class Side Story. He immediately felt strangely empty and uncomfortable.

When he opened his eyes, an ancient-looking ring appeared before him. It was a brass ring. Other than an inconspicuous dragon carved into its surface, the entire ring had no decorations or strange features. It looked dull and plain, completely incapable of attracting attention.

The other three gathered around. Zhang Jie asked strangely, "Zheng Zha, did you exchange that from the entertainment category? Are you planning to give it to that woman? Something non-consumable like this can be created directly in your room. Why would you need to exchange for it?"

Zheng Zha merely grinned without speaking. He picked up the ring and put it on the middle finger of his right hand. The instant it slid onto his finger, the warm mass in his lower abdomen suddenly stirred and flowed through the meridians in his body to the ring. Then he felt as if the ring had become connected to the flesh and blood of his right hand. With only the slightest awareness, he could "see" the 1.5-cubic-meter space in his mind. At the same time, this was his first experience of Internal Force circulating and being used. Like a part of his body, it was not as difficult to use as he had imagined.

"Touch it."

Zheng Zha smiled and held out his right hand to the three of them. Zhang Jie and the others exchanged strange glances, but they did reach out to touch the ring. Then all three sprang backward as if shocked by electricity, clutching their fingers with bitter expressions.

"Is this an electric shock ring?" Zhan Lan asked curiously.

Zheng Zha touched the ring and laughed. "No. This is a Spirit Artifact made through Cultivation Techniques, the kind of technology used by ancient Chinese immortals. It really does seem quite good. This ring is called Na. It can even store objects up to 1.5 cubic meters in volume, and it can attack and harm spiritual entities. In other words, we're no longer helpless when facing supernatural horror movies. Haha."

The three of them looked at him with envy and jealousy. Zheng Zha knew that everything he had gained was truly the result of good luck, and anyone who saw it would be envious. So he immediately said that he would use his remaining 1,000 Reward Points to buy support items such as Healing Potions and Detoxification Potions. His ring could store many small items like that, and this way, anyone among the four of them who was injured could receive treatment. Only then did the other three feel a little better.

Zhang Jie smiled. "There's no rush to exchange them now. All right, bring your women and come to my place for the food your sister-in-law made. It's chef-level stuff, haha. The Main God has never been stingy with food. You can create almost anything you want in the kitchen. Come on, come on. Starting this afternoon, you'll begin training with me."

"Training?" The three of them asked curiously.

As he walked, Zhang Jie said, "Yes, training. A person's attributes actually keep changing according to how much they exercise. From what I've observed, special forces soldiers who undergo extreme training have physical attributes only slightly worse than Zheng Zha's. They merely lack Internal Force and that damn Vampire energy. But if it came to fighting skill and endurance, if they fought Zheng Zha, the one who died might still be Zheng Zha."

"During the rest periods between these four horror movies, I've been training constantly. My Nerve Reaction Speed and Muscle Strength have also kept improving. And besides training those physical attributes, you must learn firearms, shooting, and all sorts of other things. Don't worry. There's an enormous shooting range in my basement. For the next horror movie, every one of us has to work desperately hard."

Not for the next horror movie, but to stay alive.

Zheng Zha told himself this. No matter what, he wanted to survive and leave this place with the woman he loved! Return to the real world together!