Perfect Clear

"You've given me such a clear hint—do I have any choice but to take it all?"

[Confirmed selection: Perfect Advancement. Advancement path initiated. Please gather the following materials as soon as possible.]

[Spirit Seed: 1/1]

[Hardened Carapace: 2/10]

[Colorless Crystal Shards: 0/500]

[Mana Alloy: 0/30]

[Level 20 Powered Armor (Purple Quality): 0/1]

[Mech Operating System: 0/1]

"General, for the first advancement, this is all that's needed."

All that's needed... That sure sounds simple!

Double the joy came with double the cost. Xu Jiang stared at the material list and immediately felt a headache coming on.

Aside from the two bull horns he'd just obtained, which could substitute for [Hardened Carapace], everything else was a distant prospect.

"Time to start grinding."

In his past life, he'd been forced into a 996 work schedule just to pay off a mortgage loan.

In this life, it looked like he was about to start a 007 work mode for the sake of upgrading his mech.

Transmigrating to another world—how could it be this miserable?

[Attention.]

[The Spirit Domain will end in 10 minutes. Rewards are being tallied.]

A chime sounded in his ears. Xu Jiang quickly packed his bags—these were all his gains from the Spirit Domain. As long as his load capacity allowed, he could take them all out.

[Settlement complete. Explorer Xu Jiang solo-killed the Frost Giant Bull. Rating: SS Rank. Bonus hidden treasure obtained. Rating upgraded to SSS Rank.]

[First-time entry into the secret realm with an SSS Rank evaluation. Bonus: 3 Skill Points awarded.]

[Prizes obtained: Frost Crystal x10, Reinforced Magazine (Attachment), Quick Draw (Skill Stone).]

After the chime, three items materialized on Xu Jiang. Though few in number, their value was extremely high.

First, the ten Frost Crystals—each the size of two fingers, crystal clear, and quite beautiful in appearance.

These weren't some special material but a kind of special currency.

The only way to obtain them was by earning an extremely high rating in the Spirit Domain. Xu Jiang had once seen people online offering to buy them at high prices—they were very precious.

The second item, [Reinforced Magazine], increased magazine capacity by +3.

It was a firearm attachment, usable for upgrading guns. As soon as he got it, he heard the Sand Eagle's request.

"General, can you give this magazine to me? Being able to load only 7 bullets is too embarrassing. I want to become stronger."

Xu Jiang naturally wouldn't refuse a heart that wanted to grow stronger.

He nodded and replied, "Of course, I was planning to give it to you anyway. But this is just an attachment—you'll need to find a Mech Modder to complete the modification."

"No need. You can use it on me directly."

"Use it on you? How?" Xu Jiang looked at the new magazine.

Its size was clearly much thicker than the Sand Eagle's original magazine. Without widening the magazine slot, how could it be used?

"Just force it in. If I can't endure this little pain, how can I revive the glory of machinery!"

"..."

Xu Jiang was silent for a long moment. He looked at the Sand Eagle's slightly smaller magazine slot, then finally gritted his teeth and decided to let it happen.

"Alright, it's big. You'll have to bear with it!"

"Yes, come on, General. Don't hold back—shove it in hard. The first time always hurts a bit, but after a few times, it'll... Ah!!!"

[Congratulations! Major Sand Eagle's magazine capacity increased to 10 rounds.]

With a scream, the Sand Eagle had grown. Truly a heartening thing.

Last was the highlight—the Skill Stone.

This item was extremely precious. A Skill Stone with good attributes would start at a million in the market. Just one like this could make Xu Jiang rich overnight.

Of course, he had no intention of selling this Skill Stone. Money could be earned another way, but this skill suited him perfectly.

[Quick Draw (Skill Stone): Expend 1 Skill Point to learn Quick Draw Lv1. Increases draw speed and reload time.]

A very practical support skill. The faster the reload, the shorter the firing interval—a technique every gunner had to master.

As for draw speed, it didn't just refer to drawing before battle, but also the speed of switching between multiple firearms. With more weapons in the future, this would be a god-tier skill.

"This skill is excellent. I'm Level 4 now, plus the 3 bonus Skill Points, I have 6 Skill Points total. I can..."

"General, can you give this Skill Stone to me?" Qianji's crisp voice rang in his ear.

Xu Jiang was taken aback and asked back, "You want this Skill Stone?"

"Yes. As a set of mech armor, if drawing and reloading aren't second nature, how can one stand in this world? I ask the Admiral to grant this request."

"...It's not a matter of granting or not. I just want to ask—when you use this Skill Stone, do you need me to provide Skill Points for assistance?"

"Of course not. The essence of combat power enhancement is training. While you rest at night, I will work hard on my own to max out the skill."

With that, the Skill Stone melted into Xu Jiang's hand.

[Congratulations, Admiral Qianji has successfully learned the skill: Quick Draw Lv1 through the Skill Stone.]

[T-1000 Exoskeleton Mech (Admiral)]

[Type]: First-Gen Lightweight Skeletal Mech

[Quality]: White

[Weapon Slots]: Desert Eagle Pistol, Stun Baton, Empty, Empty

[Current Weight]: 40kg

[Attributes]: Increases limb explosive strength by 80kg.

[Skills]: Robust Physique Lv10, Knee Strike Lv10, Shadowstep Lv3, Quick Draw Lv1

Isn't my mech a little too ridiculously overpowered?

It can even use Skill Stones and upgrade itself autonomously—you're making me, the Mech Warrior, look bad!

What the hell am I supposed to keep my Skill Points for?

Before Xu Jiang could figure it out, the world around him darkened. The Spirit Domain's time was up, and all adventurers were teleported out.

Outside the Spirit Domain, a crowd of parents anxiously awaited their children's return.

This trial was far more severe than the college entrance exam.

Those who made it through would have a bright future ahead; those who didn't would be separated from their families forever.

In the most luxurious teahouse by the Spirit Domain entrance, two elderly men sat at a table by the window, leisurely sipping tea.

"Old Lei! You've been eyeing my tea leaves for a while now. I'm in a good mood today, so drink up."

"Oh, Old Ghost Mo, you're like a man on his deathbed doing good deeds! Usually so stingy, and today you actually brought out your treasured tea leaves."

The ones who could enjoy morning tea so leisurely were naturally the two retired old-timers who had nothing better to do than guide newcomers.

Grandpa Mo was still in his martial arts uniform, the hems neat and clean—clearly dressed with care.

He set down his teacup, stroked his little beard, and said smugly, "Just happy, that's all. Thinking about my disciple getting an S-Rank Score—it feels great."

Grandpa Lei rolled his eyes, kicked off his slippers, and unceremoniously propped his legs up on the chair. He grabbed the teacup in front of him and downed it in one gulp.

"And that's your doing? That was the Pang family buying it with money. You're just a name on the roster."

"Who says that? I taught Pang Shi meticulously—I'm his rightful master! You old ghost, you're just jealous."

"Jealous of you? I'm afraid you'll ruin your reputation in your old age."

"Bullshit. The one ruining their reputation is you—picking up trash on the streets all the time. Look at how many of the ones you sent into the Spirit Domain came out alive?"

The two old men started bickering again, making the nearby waitstaff nervous.

These two were no ordinary people! If they started throwing hands...

"Honestly, this tea of yours is pretty good."

"Of course it is—30,000 for a tael. I only managed to get half a catty this time. I'll give you a tael to take home."

Huh? They made up already? How strange. The waiter breathed a sigh of relief.

This kind of squabbling was routine. The two would start arguing the moment they met, and no one could stop them.

But gradually, others had noticed the pattern. This so-called arguing was more like a testament to their friendship—a very 'friendly' way of communicating.

After all, they were retired old-timers. They couldn't go to the front lines to experience the thrill of battle, so arguing was a way to keep their blood flowing.

Sure enough, early in the morning, Grandpa Mo had dragged his friend out for tea, with the clear goal of showing off his disciple.

Grandpa Lei didn't refuse. He also wanted to wait and see how Xu Jiang would end up. Though they'd only known each other for two days, he was still the recommender and had a responsibility to see it through.

When he was young, he too had been a penniless wandering orphan, fortunate enough to receive help from others.

He wanted to give those aspiring youths a chance, hoping they would succeed—and even more, hoping they would return safely.

Rumble!

A sudden shift in wind and clouds signaled the prelude to the Spirit Domain's end and the test-takers being sent out.

But this time, things were different.

The storm sweeping across the sky seemed tinged with a layer of gold, spinning and spreading like a firework exploding in the air—dazzling and extraordinary.

"This is! Someone has perfectly cleared the Spirit Domain!"