Return and Exchange

Chapter 13: Return and Exchange

--[Calculating...]

--[Killed 12 Facehuggers, total reward points obtained: 600.]

--[Killed 27 Xenomorph larvae, total reward points obtained: 2700.]

--[Killed 16 adult Xenomorphs, total reward points obtained: 4800.]

--[Killed Xenomorph Queen, obtained 3000 reward points and 1 Grade C side quest.]

--[Killed Predalien, obtained 3500 reward points and 1 Grade C side quest.]

--[Saved victims of the Xenomorph infestation, obtained 2000 reward points and 1 Grade C side quest.]

--[Defeated elite Yautja 'Wolf', obtained 4000 reward points and 2 Grade C side quests.]

--[Completed basic intelligence briefing, obtained 200 reward points.]

--[Completed main mission: Survive for six hours, obtained 1000 reward points.]

--[Killed 1 teammate, deducted 1000 reward points.]

--[Reincarnator Si Ming, current total holdings: 20800 reward points, 5 Grade C side quests. Note: 3 Grade C side quests can be automatically synthesized into 1 Grade B side quest.]

The voice resonated beside his ears, his vision gradually narrowing in a daze. Si Ming's perception flowed through his shell; still maintaining the state of the unlocked Genetic Lock, he could clearly perceive the operation of power in every movement he made.

The Genetic Lock, the greatest reliance and strongest trump card of the original Reincarnators. As long as one considers themselves human, they can unlock it without consuming any resources, and it does not conflict with the vast majority of power systems. Even at its most basic first stage, one can perfectly control every limb movement upon activation. It allows an ordinary city youth whose combat experience is limited to killing chickens to instantly transform into a cold-blooded killer with decades of honed technique.

And now, this power was in Si Ming's hands.

"I thought I would have to put in quite a bit of effort before obtaining this power."

Clenching his fist, battle qi surged within his shell. The circulation he constructed was more perfect, and it moved as easily as an extension of his own arm. Within these one or two simple breaths, the wounds on his arm and chest achieved visible self-repair.

Power, indeed...

Si Ming gently exhaled a breath.

He was still floating within the pillar of light for the return, and besides him, there were other individuals returning...

Si Ming turned his head.

Within the range of his vision, he did not see a second pillar of light descending.

"Only me? I clearly remember that on the helicopter there was still—"

He had seen Yumie, who was reduced to a mass of blurred flesh when he boarded the helicopter, and had pulled her along. He was certain that at least when the main mission was completed, she still had breath and a heartbeat, and would still react to external stimuli. Yet now...

"Erased for negative points?"

"Did she leak the secrets of the Reincarnation World, or did she make a move against others?"

Both were possible.

But it was irrelevant.

Si Ming did not care how that little fatty died, nor did he care if Yumie—he actually didn't know this name—died because of leaking secrets. In any case, their evaluations in Si Ming's mind were quite poor. If it hadn't been a matter of just pulling someone along, he might have even watched these clueless idiots die.

He waited in the pillar of light for a while longer, until the state of the unlocked Genetic Lock made him feel a heavy burden on his spirit. He had already prepared himself for the backlash effect of the first unlocking. And the next moment—

—Close.

Genetic Lock Stage One, closed.

His muscles and nerves suddenly erupted with a wave of soreness and numbness, and a feeling of dizziness was released in his head. Then...

It lasted for a few seconds.

Si Ming raised an eyebrow slightly. Aside from the sense of loss generated by the decrease in operational precision brought about by closing the Genetic Lock, he felt nothing else.

...That's it?

The backlash of opening the Genetic Lock, just this?

There was no unbearable, excruciating pain or itching, nor were there muscle spasms or profuse sweating. The slight discomfort vanished, and his arms were once again filled with power.

This could only mean one thing.

"...It seems my talent is better than expected. Is it because of the overlapping body parameters?"

That was a possibility. After all, in the nameless alien world Si Ming encountered before arriving at the Reincarnation World, the number of fierce, bloody battles he faced was numerous, and several of the crises were even more severe than the battle with Wolf. Yet, his Genetic Lock had not opened prematurely at that time.

He thought about it—and then stopped thinking about it. He looked up, communicated with the Main God in his mind, and the world available for return was immediately presented on his retina in the form of a light screen. The first was the Alien vs. Predator world view, which consumed 10 reward points per day upon return, and the second was the Origin World, which required a Grade D side quest to unlock and consumed 50 reward points for every day of return.

Origin World—the real world.

He might be able to return to his hometown, but he didn't hold much hope for it.

—It's not time yet.

Si Ming was not one of those common homesick transmigrators; he was not in a hurry to return to his hometown or his second home. After all, those who want to go back basically have important people waiting for them to return home. But for Si Ming, he had long since been free of such worries.

Thinking.

"Main God, full body repair."

The glorious pillar of light descended, washing and cleansing his flesh. Not only the damage to his arms and chest, but also the hidden dangers and internal injuries within his shell were purified under the washing of this light. His body felt as if it had become several pounds lighter, and his breathing became much smoother.

Reward points, 35 consumed.

Si Ming tilted his head, looking toward the edge of the Main God square—twenty ownerless, glowing portals stood there. A faint trace of exhaustion surfaced in his body and mind.

It was safe here.

He needed to rest.

He chose a door at random and touched the handle. As he stepped inside, a studio apartment with minimalist decor appeared behind the glowing portal.

A familiar scent.

His fingers brushed against the desk and bed, neither of which were soft.

A few remittance receipts were scattered on the table, and a small harmonica sat at the edge.

He sat down, back against the load-bearing wall. The harmonica was as clean and familiar as ever, and Si Ming picked it up gently. He placed it to his lips and blew a rhythmic tune.

Combat was an interesting thing. Sometimes, when taking action, one could imagine simply smashing the heads of those one never wanted to see again with a fist or a weapon.

And now, he was no longer limited to just "imagining."

Therefore, he did not miss his hometown.

There was no need.

When Si Ming returned to the Main God square, exactly eight hours had passed. Not a minute more, not a second less. His body and mind had gained sufficient rest, his focus was sharp, and his thoughts were agile and fluid.

The trivial matters were handled; now it was time to prepare to ensure no disastrous accidents occurred in the next battlefield—returning to the AVP world to train, adjust, master the techniques of triggering the Gene Lock, and adapt to the enhancements he was about to purchase was only logical. However, what exactly to buy required careful consideration.

"Main God, display my physical attributes."

A light screen descended.

Si Ming's initial stats were quite impressive due to the overlapping of his physical body and the tempering of his Battle Qi.

Muscle Strength: 272

Reaction Ability: 321

Cell Activity: 285

Intelligence: 301

Mental Strength: 297

Immunity: 288

These six-dimensional attributes were quite balanced, and in terms of values, they were indeed at the level a normal person could reach after obtaining a C-rank enhancement. His agility parameters were relatively high, and his magic-related data was unexpectedly strong.

Well then...

"The first thing I can confirm is that I need basic armor and weapons. At this stage, high-tech weapons offer better value—power armor, laser cannons... no, I don't need to buy firearms as side-quest items. Configuring a melee weapon capable of dealing with ghosts and the like would be more effective."

One thing was certain: the main quest difficulty of the next world would definitely be lower than the Alien vs. Yautja sequel he had just finished. Because Si Ming was a newcomer with zero enhancements, and all other newcomers and veterans besides him had died in the previous world.

This could almost be considered a total wipeout; the East Sea Team's overall rating would surely be dragged to the very bottom. Perhaps Si Ming's personal evaluation would be adjusted upward due to his gain of 20,000 reward points, but the overall rating would certainly trend downward.

It was highly likely to be another sci-fi horror world similar to Alien. Of course, the possibility of a lower-difficulty modern horror, like non-supernatural thrillers such as Scream or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, was equally significant. The chance of running into high-difficulty ghost worlds like Ju-On, One Missed Call, or Sadako was almost zero. But one could not rule out encountering some special, unexpected situations.

Therefore...

"It needs to be easy to disguise."

An entry was selected by Si Ming and placed on his pending exchange list.

--[Nanosuit—Originating from the 'Crysis' universe, features three modes: Armor, Power, and Cloak. Can replenish energy by absorbing organic matter and through photosynthesis-like reactions. The wearer will be able to withstand a certain degree of kinetic energy, high heat, strong acid, radiation, and other external damage under the suit's protection. Features combat assistance and detection systems, and can significantly enhance combat power based on the user's own physique while worn.]

--[To exchange for this item, you must pay 1 C-rank side-quest and 3,000 reward points. An additional 500 reward points can be paid to configure it with an anti-EMP accessory, and its resistance to electronic hacking will also be significantly increased.]

It was quite a good piece of equipment, and it had high compatibility with the Cloak mode of his Night Battle Qi. If he had swapped it for a half-ton hunk of steel, Si Ming wouldn't be confident in his ability to quickly sneak and jump while wearing it—he wasn't some strange space Batman.

"Next is the weapon."

He had plenty of reward points; as long as he didn't pursue infinite ammunition, he could naturally purchase high-tech lethal gear like laser cannons or pulse rifles. But for Si Ming, he personally preferred to hold a greatsword in his hand.

He found it quickly.

--[Profaned Greatsword—Originating from the 'Dark Souls' universe. A ceremonial sword entrusted with the Profaned Flame. The flame originates from the darkness of the human heart, making it highly compatible with dark-attribute energy. When the user infuses it with dark power, the blade will ignite with a special flame that spreads to the guilty. Particularly effective against spirits and vengeful ghosts.]

--[To exchange for this item, you must pay 1 C-rank side-quest and 4,000 reward points.]

Not bad; he had a soft spot for swords that could catch fire. This could also be considered fulfilling a dream from his past. At the very least, it had a positive effect on his mindset.

Thus, only the bloodline upgrade remained. And without a doubt, Si Ming's interest in purchasing composite enhancements to stitch together combo skills was near zero.

"A B-rank energy pool is definitely stronger than a composite of two C-rank bloodlines, and my current greatest advantage is having the C-rank Night Battle Qi from the very beginning. Since there are no obvious shortcomings at the moment, continuing to extend my strengths is also a suitable path to take!"

There was nothing to hesitate about; in the reincarnation world, Battle Qi was on a similar scale to internal energy. D, C, and B-rank internal energy basically corresponded directly to primary, intermediate, and advanced internal energy. Changing it to Battle Qi, it was naturally much the same.

Compatibility issues didn't exist at this stage. The enhancement entry belonging to Battle Qi immediately appeared in Si Ming's eyes.

--[Advanced Battle Qi—Originating from 'Generic Xuanhuan', a pure Battle Qi upgrade. It will equip the user with a complete Battle Qi vortex and Battle Qi circulation. The exchanger's cell activity and muscle strength will be significantly increased as a result. Includes the 'Battle Qi Projection' skill and is compatible with the vast majority of 'Qi' systems.]

--[To exchange for this enhancement, you must pay 1 B-rank side-quest and 5,000 reward points. Furthermore, the exchanger must possess at least a C-rank Battle Qi foundation.]

--[Reincarnator Si Ming, does not meet the prerequisite requirements for this exchange!]

Si Ming twisted his neck.

"...Huh?"