Drawing on all the online games he had played in his previous life, Xiao Fan could imagine countless weapons to create.
"What kind of weapon should I choose?"
In Cloud Sea, created weapons usually corresponded to the skills their creators had made.
All of Xiao Fan's skills were currently support spells, and didn't rely on weapons.
What he needed now was a weapon that could protect him and let him deal damage.
The first thing Xiao Fan thought of was a pistol.
Simple, powerful, and capable of attacking from a distance.
It fit his requirements perfectly.
Strangely enough, the Real World on Blue Star had firearms, but for some reason, he hadn't seen anyone use any in Cloud Sea.
Logically speaking, firearms were simpler than cold weapons like swords and knives, and ought to be more popular.
"Could it be that you can't create firearms in Cloud Sea?"
Just then, Xiao Fan noticed there was a simulation function under the equipment creation menu.
After checking the instructions and seeing that it didn't cost anything, he opened the weapon simulation function.
"Please enter the weapon type."
"Pistol."
"Please picture the weapon's appearance in your mind."
"Great, no need to describe it. I've got it."
"Please choose your weapon's attributes: physical damage, spell damage, healing power."
"All of them."
"Would you like to add extra attribute points to your weapon? (You may choose two only.)"
"Strength, Agility."
"Would you like to create a special effect for your weapon?"
"Yes."
"Please create the weapon effect."
Xiao Fan thought for a moment. "Increase critical hit rate by ten percent."
"Would you like to create a special skill for your weapon?"
"Yes."
"Please create the weapon skill."
"Splash: Attacks deal damage to the primary target and all enemies in a small area around it."
"Please choose your weapon's level."
"Level 5."
"Creation complete. Please name your weapon."
"Azure Dragon."
Ding! Weapon creation complete. Would you like to view it?
View.
A three-dimensional image of a pistol immediately floated before Xiao Fan.
Its sleek, streamlined body gave off a faint purple glow, as if it were made of pure energy. It had a distinctly futuristic feel.
Apart from the color, it was exactly like the weapon he'd imagined.
Weapon Name: Azure Dragon (Purple Gear) Weapon Type: Pistol Weapon Level: Level 5 Weapon Attributes: Physical Damage +40, Spell Damage +30, Healing Power +15 Weapon Extra Attributes: Strength +5, Agility +5 Weapon Effect: Physical Critical Hit Rate +10% Weapon Skill: Splash. Lasts 15 seconds. Cooldown: 120 seconds.
"Purple gear? Does that mean equipment has different grades?"
Seeing the words "Purple Gear" after the weapon's name, Xiao Fan suddenly understood.
Weapons in Cloud Sea were graded by color.
He'd seen that other players in Zone 18 all carried white weapons and assumed that was simply what game weapons looked like. Turns out, that was their grade.
"I just don't know what level purple weapons are."
"Weapon simulation complete. Choose whether to extract the weapon, save the simulation data, or exit."
"Huh? I can extract the simulated weapon right away? Nice!" Xiao Fan gave the game a thumbs-up.
"This weapon isn't exactly top-tier, but for now, it'll do."
Xiao Fan stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then chose to extract it.
"Extracting this weapon will cost 267,890 Core Power. Confirm?"
Xiao Fan: Σ(°△°|||)︴!!!
"No! No! No!"
"A weapon costs 267,000 Core Power?! Why not just rob me?!"
Although Xiao Fan currently had over 500,000 Core Power, spending 267,000 on a weapon was practically a fate worse than death.
"Damn it, it really is that game where even breathing costs money."
Xiao Fan couldn't help complaining. Now he understood why everyone in Zone 18 used beginner weapons, and why the 30,000 beginner weapon from school had been such a bargain.
What a shame. What a shame.
"Still, it's the first weapon I've simulated. I'll save the data."
Xiao Fan clicked "Save Weapon Simulation Data."
Then he simulated some clothes, pants, and accessories.
Each one cost more than the last.
He couldn't afford them! Not a chance!
"Actually, things are pretty good as they are," Xiao Fan consoled himself.
Over the next few days, the Xiao Fan Team continued to farm Misty Forest as usual.
"Could Brother Chen be possessed?" Garfield Without Fat sidled up to Swift as Wind and whispered, cautiously glancing at Xiao Fan, who was gazing up at the sun ahead of them.
Swift as Wind nodded solemnly. "Be confident. Remove 'could be.'"
"How does Brother Chen manage to stare at the sun every day? It's so blinding." Zai Zai looked up at it and immediately felt his eyes ache from the glare.
Han the Person frowned. "Don't talk about Brother Chen behind his back. He's so strong. What's wrong with looking at the sun during the day and the moon at night?"
Garfield Without Fat: ...You're talking about him too.
The four of them didn't understand, but they respected his choice.
Hearing the four of them discussing him behind his back, Xiao Fan looked disdainful.
Hmph! They didn't understand this game at all!
That said, Xiao Fan decided that if they really managed to get a trait this time, he'd figure out how to help Garfield Without Fat and the others get traits too, and put together a Skill Chain for them.
They were his teammates, after all. He couldn't let them be too useless.
The Yellow Rank Skill Chain they'd learned at school would probably be worthless once they left the Novice Village.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
That morning, none of the new players in Zone 18 went out to hunt.
Players in Cloud Sea's Novice Zone could return home only once a month. Everyone planned to go home and let their families know they were safe, and Xiao Fan was no exception.
"I wonder how my uncle's illness is," Xiao Fan thought as he clicked to exit the game.
Ding! Temporary exit from Cloud Sea detected. Would you like to manifest your attribute points?
"Yes!"
"Detected that the player has gained 63 attribute points in Cloud Sea. Manifesting them will cost 63,000 Core Power. Confirm payment?"
"Why does this cost money too?!" Xiao Fan's expression darkened.
"Not now!"
Ding! Temporary exit from Cloud Sea detected. Would you like to manifest your skills?
Xiao Fan: ...
Should he say yes or no?
"Not now."
No need to ask. Manifesting skills would cost even more.
Xiao Fan had thought he was already pretty rich, but now...
He couldn't even bring himself to think about it.
The main reason Xiao Fan didn't manifest anything was that he still wanted to focus on the game for now.
Only by getting stronger in the game could he earn more Core Power.
Manifesting things now would be like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. It would hinder his progress in the game, and he'd have nothing to gain from it.
Next, the system prompted him to manifest equipment and items.
Xiao Fan had none of those, so he promptly chose no.
Then everything went dark. When he opened his eyes, Xiao Fan was in the Cloud Sea Login Administration Bureau.
Players could log into the game from anywhere, but when they exited, they always appeared at the Login Administration Bureau.
By the time Xiao Fan appeared, the place was already packed, mostly with new players who had entered the game this year.
He squeezed through the crowd and went to the Core Power Exchange counter.
A notice board stood beside the counter.
Today's exchange rate: 1 Core Power = 1,000 Dragon Nation Currency
There was no one in line at the counter. Only a staff member sat there, staring at the computer with a bored expression.
"Hello, I'd like to exchange some Core Power for Dragon Nation Currency. How do I do that?" Xiao Fan asked politely.
The staff member was a petite, pretty young woman. When she heard Xiao Fan's voice and turned around, she saw a handsome young man, and her cheeks immediately flushed faintly.
He looked young, clearly a new player from this year.
Remembering that she was at work, the woman quickly composed herself.
"Are you sure you want to exchange your Core Power for Dragon Nation Currency?"
Seeing her suddenly turn serious, Xiao Fan thought there might be some rule he didn't know about, so he asked, "Is that not allowed?"
"No, no." The woman hurriedly waved her hands and explained, "It's just that things are difficult for new players at the beginning, so it's better to save your Core Power and use it to improve your strength."
In fact, not only new players but even veterans avoided exchanging Core Power for Dragon Nation Currency.
Only players who had no future in the game and urgently needed money would do that.
Seeing how young and handsome Xiao Fan was, she hoped he wasn't one of them.
Xiao Fan knew she meant well and smiled. "Thanks. I only want to exchange 100 Core Power."
One hundred Core Power was worth 100,000 Dragon Nation Currency. That would be enough to pay off the debt they'd incurred because his uncle was ill, and improve things at home so his uncle and aunt wouldn't have to work so hard.
Besides, 100 Core Power really wasn't much to him now.
When the woman saw that Xiao Fan was determined to exchange it, the little goodwill she'd felt toward him vanished.
A man who didn't want to become strong in the game didn't deserve her goodwill.
"Give me your Login Device," the woman said, her tone a little colder.
Puzzled by her sudden change in attitude, Xiao Fan handed over the Login Device.
The woman placed it in a metal slot, tapped the screen a few times, then asked Xiao Fan for his bank card number.
"The money's been transferred."
Xiao Fan nodded. The woman's attitude had changed quickly, but so had her work.
"Brother Fan!"
Just as Xiao Fan stepped out of the Login Administration Bureau, a familiar voice rang out behind him, sounding both eager and breathless.
He didn't need to turn around to know it was his deskmate, Little Fatty.
Xiao Fan stopped and turned. The chubby boy was running out of the lobby, panting.
"B-Brother Fan, why are you walking so fast? I almost couldn't catch up." Little Fatty reached him, braced his hands on his knees, and panted heavily.
Seeing him like that, Xiao Fan couldn't help but smile. It'd been a month, but he was still so...
"Huh?"
Xiao Fan looked Little Fatty up and down and only then noticed how much weight he'd lost over the past month. His once round belly had shrunk noticeably, and his double chin had thinned too.
Xiao Fan asked, "Fatty, have you been dieting?"
At that, Little Fatty straightened up and smiled bitterly. "Don't even ask, Brother Fan. Do you know what I've been through this past month? I should've gone to Zone 18 with you back then. Zone 2 is no place for a human being."
"Don't joke around. If someone hears you say that, you'll get beaten up." Xiao Fan patted Little Fatty on the shoulder and asked curiously, "What's wrong with Zone 2?"
With Novice Village Zone 1 being invite-only, Zone 2 could be called the Novice Zone all players dreamed of. Its status was like Qingbei's on Earth.
Before you continue