Drawing

Gurgle...

The sudden sound broke the office's silence. When Roy set down his book and looked out the window, he saw the fading glow of the setting sun.

It was now 18:20. The end of the workday had arrived, and aside from the officers on duty, everyone else could leave the Guard Department and go home.

However, night shifts had little to do with the auxiliary police squad. Besides, Roy was an instructor, so he could leave directly.

His half-day of reading had not been without gains. By now, Roy was no longer quite so ignorant about this city or this world, and he had also gained some understanding of his own identity.

At the very least, he now knew where he should go after work.

After returning each book he had taken out to the shelves, Roy left the office and pulled the door shut behind him.

Compared to daytime, the Guard Department was much less crowded in the evening. Since the service counters had closed, there were now only officers and a very small number of support staff.

After clocking out as usual, Roy left the Guard Department.

Lungmen's streets were not all that different from those in the city where Roy had lived in his previous life: neon lights everywhere, pedestrians of every kind, and office workers who had only recently gotten off work.

All kinds of shops lined both sides of the street, while plenty of vehicles traveled along the road as well...

However, Roy had no interest in shopping around. After dinner, he hurried back to his residence. He had something more important to do.

Half an hour later, Roy arrived at an apartment situated at the boundary between Lungmen's urban district and the outer ring. His residence was here. In Lungmen's land-starved city center, only areas near the outer ring could be considered somewhat affordable, and even then, only the rent was relatively cheaper.

As for buying a house?

In the world Roy had lived in during his previous life, a family could still afford at least one home if they worked hard for an entire lifetime. In this place, though, it was basically impossible. Even the Guard Department, which enjoyed preferential policies, was no exception.

He skillfully opened the unfamiliar door and was met by an equally unfamiliar room: a bed, an old television, a bookshelf, a tiny bathroom, and a balcony used as a kitchen. That was everything his current residence contained.

The annual rent for such a tiny place was around 60,000 Lungmen dollars. That was two-thirds of the annual income level within Lungmen's urban district, with the remainder needed to cover living expenses.

All in all, the room was fairly tidy. Roy felt rather fortunate; at least its previous occupant had not been a slob.

He walked to the window and drew the curtains. Then, he took the small gift box that had appeared in his hand out of his pocket.

Rather than opening it immediately, he began examining its exterior.

It was a small, exquisite gift box, predominantly red. When Roy gently pried it open with his fingers, a faint, alluring radiance emerged from within, much like drawing cards in the mobile games he had once played.

Presumably, the items this box could yield also came in different grades. As for the odds... although regulations in his previous life had required game companies to disclose probabilities, this was Lungmen. It was obviously impossible to make this box tell him the chances of obtaining each type of item.

"I just hope it isn't as much of a scam as Dungeon Fighter Online's urns."

With that thought, Roy no longer hesitated. He directly flipped open the lid. In that instant, brilliant light flooded the entire room. Had Roy not drawn the curtains in advance, the nearby residents might have noticed something strange by now.

"You opened the Mysterious Gift Box..."

"You obtained item: Shadow Ghost Swordsmanship Comprehension Scroll."

At that moment, the radiance faded.

The box had long since vanished, leaving only an ancient-looking scroll in Roy's hand. This was presumably the so-called Shadow Ghost Swordsmanship Comprehension Scroll.

As for what Shadow Ghost Swordsmanship was...

Roy naturally knew that perfectly well. It was a skill possessed by the Blade Master, known as Iron Man in Dungeon Fighter Online. Still, Roy had a feeling that this scroll was not so simple.

"Name: Shadow Ghost Swordsmanship Comprehension Scroll"

"Grade: Epic"

"A scroll recording the Sword God's lifelong mastery. Whoever comprehends the mysteries within will surely travel farther down the path of swordsmanship."

"Learned upon use: Shadow Ghost Swordsmanship"

Without any hesitation, Roy opened the scroll.

A strange energy surged into his body through his hands. At that moment, countless moves and battles appeared in his mind. Whether it was Draw Slash or Phantom Sword Dance, Roy had the feeling that as long as he wanted to, he could use them.

"Comprehended: Shadow Ghost Swordsmanship. Current Proficiency: 0"

"Shadow Ghost Swordsmanship"

"Special Skill"

"Upon learning, grants the skill system related to Shadow Ghost Swordsmanship. When proficiency reaches a special value, this skill will change into Ultimate Ghost Swordsmanship, unlocking new related auxiliary skills."

Sure enough, just as Roy had expected, this skill was not some minor skill like it had been in the game, but an entire skill tree.

Without a doubt, this was an enormous improvement for Roy. At the same time, this skill series would become one of his primary combat techniques in the future.

Beep beep beep...

Beep beep beep...

Beep beep beep...

It was at that moment that Roy's phone began to ring.

"Is this Brother Roy?"

The moment he answered, a voice came from the other end of the line. Though slightly distorted, Roy could still recognize who it was.

It was one of the officers from the group Chen had led earlier.

"That's right, it's me."

"Do you have time tonight to go out for a meal with the brothers?"

"Of course."

The unit held a dinner gathering tonight. I drank eight or nine cups of baijiu and only just got back. I may only be able to update this one chapter tonight, so please forgive me...