Dust-Scattering Smoke Pouch

A world within a world.

It could only be called a world within a world.

The doghouse before him was far cleaner and tidier than he had imagined, without the slightest unpleasant smell.

It had an oval structure, divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower.

The first floor was filled with all sorts of books. Every one of them looked like an incredibly profound tome—thick and heavy.

The second floor was specifically for sleeping, with a simple bed and even a separate bathroom.

The third floor was a laboratory that also served as a treasure vault.

"These books..."

Lu Xingyuan really did want to learn what kind of existence the Train World was.

But when he opened one... damn it, why were they all pictures of female dogs?

"Cough, cough."

The dog-headed man had not expected Lu Xingyuan's hands to be so restless. As he dry-coughed, he was also grateful that Lu Xingyuan had not opened the other book. The contents of that one were far more explosive—it was essential for easing his loneliness at night.

"I understand. I look at them often too."

Lu Xingyuan hurriedly said,

"It's only natural for people... uh, for dogs too, I suppose."

[The dog-headed man's favorability toward you +10]

[Current favorability: 80]

Sure enough, the best way for men to bond was to talk about improper things.

"It's just that your collection is a little too one-sided. They're all Western. If I get the chance later, I'll definitely get you some Japanese and Korean blockbusters."

The dog-headed man was deeply moved. "Good brother! A true good brother!"

As they passed the second floor, Lu Xingyuan glanced at the bed.

The bed was suspended in the air. It was perfect for hiding things that could not see the light of day.

Upon reaching the third floor, he realized the so-called laboratory was for researching food. I thought it was some kind of profound research. What a relief.

"Come on, open my treasure vault."

The dog-headed man pushed open the heavy iron door, revealing a wooden shelf. All sorts of extraordinary creations were neatly arranged on it, every single one part of his treasured collection.

However, even treasures came in different grades.

The ones at the bottom were definitely the worst, while the higher ones were better.

He remembered that Gu Wanqing had only been allowed to choose from the bottom three rows.

So now, he was...

"Pick whatever you want. You can choose from the upper rows too. Take whichever one you like."

You're incredible, bro.

If Gu Wanqing found out about this, she would be drooling with envy!

Lu Xingyuan stroked his chin and began carefully examining the extraordinary creations one by one.

[Rusty Iron Brass Knuckles]

[Category: Extraordinary Creation]

[Level: 1]

[Description: These brass knuckles are covered in mottled rust, yet they will never wear down, break, or deform. When you grip the knuckles tightly and throw a punch, the edge of your fist will carry a faint force of corrosion. Striking metal creations will accelerate localized rusting and aging. Striking living creatures will only cause slight ulceration at the wound, which will fade on its own within half an hour at most. The effect is doubled against targets wearing metal armor, while the effect on unarmored flesh is almost negligible.]

They seemed pretty good.

[Scent-Seeking Snuffbox]

[Category: Extraordinary Creation]

[Level: 1]

[Description: A palm-sized copper snuffbox that always contains half a box of snuff carrying the fresh fragrance of grass and wood. It will never run out or spoil. It can be used 3 times per day. After taking a sniff, for ten minutes, you can precisely locate the source of one specified scent within a fifty-meter radius. It cannot penetrate solid walls thicker than 10 centimeters. Strong, pungent odors will directly interrupt the effect, and it is completely ineffective against odorless targets.]

This one was good too, with plenty of uses.

[Dust-Repelling Cloak]

[Category: Extraordinary Creation]

[Level: 2]

[Description: This gray-black cloak is as light and thin as cicada wings, yet it will never be stained by dust, water, or grime. When you activate the cloak, it can form a translucent barrier around your body that completely negates all non-extraordinary ranged projectile attacks, including ordinary arrows, crossbow bolts, and conventional bullets. The barrier can last up to three minutes per activation and may only be activated 3 times per day. It is completely ineffective against ranged attacks empowered by extraordinary forces and all melee attacks.]

This was good stuff too. As expected of Doghead Bro's collection.

After looking through everything, Lu Xingyuan wanted every single item.

But considering how difficult they must have been for the dog-headed man to collect, he restrained himself. He could not just do whatever he wanted because the other party's favorability toward him was as high as 80. He needed to have some basic sense of boundaries.

After some thought, Lu Xingyuan ultimately chose the item that could save his life.

[Dust-Scattering Smoke Pouch]

[Category: Extraordinary Creation]

[Level: 2]

[Description: Crush the trigger mechanism, and the smoke pouch will instantly burst open, filling an eight-meter radius centered on you with thick smoke and dust. It can block ordinary visual observation and thermal imaging detection. While within the smoke and dust, you can completely conceal your form, leaving behind no footprints or scent. The smoke and dust can last up to twenty seconds and can be triggered up to 3 times per day. Strong winds can instantly disperse the smoke and dust. High-level extraordinary perception can detect your presence, and it cannot block extraordinary area-of-effect attacks.]

After all, he lacked nothing else right now. What he lacked were means of preserving his life.

When their damage was sufficient, even ranged attackers would choose to buy equipment to save their own lives.

As the saying went, only the living could deal damage.

"Big Bro, I've made my choice."

Lu Xingyuan pointed at the selected [Dust-Scattering Smoke Pouch].

"You brat, you sure know how to pick. This treasure ranks among the best of all my collection."

Although the dog-headed man said that, he did not hesitate in the slightest. He took it down and handed it to Lu Xingyuan.

"Your big brother is a man of his word. What I say, I do. Even if I'm reluctant to part with it, I won't hesitate at all. If I said I'd give it to you, then it's yours!"

"Big Bro, you're righteous!"

Lu Xingyuan gave him a thumbs-up!

"Enough talking. Hurry and go, or you'll miss the train later."

The dog-headed man reminded him.

Lu Xingyuan had not expected the dog-headed man to know the train rules so well.

Just as Lu Xingyuan was about to head downstairs, he suddenly noticed a staircase on the third floor leading upward.

Huh... wasn't there supposed to be only three floors? Where did this fourth floor come from?

The dog-headed man noticed Lu Xingyuan's pause as well. His expression changed, and after seeming to make some major decision, he removed a silver metal dog-head pendant from around his neck and handed it to Lu Xingyuan.

"This is..."

"The key to the fourth floor."

The fourth floor???

After Lu Xingyuan crawled into the doghole, Bai Xiao and Zhao Rui did not leave. Instead, they patiently waited where they were.

Of course, perhaps only Bai Xiao was patient.

At the very least, Zhao Rui looked rather anxious.

"Why isn't this guy back yet?"

"What the hell is he doing?"

"What kind of treasure does the dog-headed man even have?"

Fortunately, Lu Xingyuan did not keep her waiting for long and soon crawled back out.

Zhao Rui first looked Lu Xingyuan up and down, but she did not spot any sign of the treasure.

She knew it. This guy must have hidden it away!

Zhao Rui hurried forward and asked,

"What did you get?"

Lu Xingyuan glanced at her. "What does it have to do with you?"

"You!"

Zhao Rui's face alternated between pale and flushed.

"Don't go too far!"

Then, she began her analysis.

"This dog-headed man is the hidden surprise of this stop, right?"

"As long as you feed it food, you can gain its favorability, and it'll give you a gift, right?"

The more she spoke, the more wildly the corners of her mouth curled upward.

"You can't hide it from me!"

"I'm best at deducing the truth from the smallest clues."

Lu Xingyuan looked at her expressionlessly.

"So?"

"So, thank you for revealing this hidden surprise to me. I'll follow your successful path and effortlessly obtain an equally valuable gift."

"It doesn't matter if you won't tell me. I'll find it myself!"

Somehow, she pulled out a piece of bread covered in meat floss. It looked quite appetizing, and on the trading channel, it was definitely premium merchandise—far better than the pile of dry, hard bread.

"This is something even I can't bear to eat."

Zhao Rui took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the excitement in her heart before slowly walking toward the dog-headed man.

Bai Xiao, who had witnessed all of this from the side, had his expression change slightly.

It seemed he needed to develop the habit of carrying food with him.

"Dog-headed man! This is for you. Hurry up and eat it, then take me to your treasure vault so I can pick one of your treasures!"

Zhao Rui had not modified the delayed departure time.

So she only had one hour to stay.

After all this fuss, about forty minutes had probably passed.

She did not have much time left, which was why she was so anxious.

The dog-headed man glanced at the bread with a disdainful expression.

"Do you think I eat just anything?"

"I've raised dogs before. Don't dogs eat anything?"

Zhao Rui grew even more anxious.

"Hurry up! I'm going to miss the train soon!"

The dog-headed man completely ignored her, lay back down on the ground, resumed his previous lazy posture, and waved to Lu Xingyuan.

"Little bro, hurry up and go. If you don't leave now, it'll be too late."