Chapter 3

A glowing panel appeared in front of Xu Qing, with a small map in the upper right corner. Curious, he tapped it open.

The map showed Nuoding City, but only a small area around his home was lit up. Everything else was shrouded in gray fog.

"Do I have to explore it myself?"

He also noticed a chest marker on the map.

"Huh."

Interesting.

In the game, a Basic Supply Chest was the lowest-tier chest. It gave five Astrite, a certain number of Shell Credits, and some basic upgrade materials or low-star weapons.

"Could a gacha banner show up on the system panel later?"

That would be great.

After all, even at level 90, he had only nine cards, nine characters.

But there were more than nine characters in Wuthering Waves.

Card games were all about one thing:

I might not use them, but I had to have them.

Even if that made me a warehouse keeper.

He rubbed his hands together and opened the chest. A flash of light appeared.

The chest contained several things:

Three pure white, crystal-like pieces, two gray-black iron blocks, eight Gold Soul Coins, and a black long blade in its sheath.

A name and description appeared over each item in his vision.

[Basic Soul Power Crystal: Replenishes 10% of expended Soul Power.]

[Hundred-Refined Fine Iron: Fine iron forged through a thousand hammer blows and a hundred refinements.]

[Gold Soul Coin: Currency used throughout the Douluo Continent.]

[Sword of Night: Level 1. Attack +15%.]

"??"

A row of question marks appeared over Xu Qing's head.

Did the Douluo Continent have Soul Power Crystals?

And wasn't this the two-star Sword the Rover commonly used? How had it been strengthened so much?

Its original base attack was 22, with a 3.3% attack increase. Now it had jumped straight to 15%.

There was no base attack stat, only the precious percentage bonus.

The blade could also be upgraded. The original two-star Sword reached 275 attack and a 14.8% attack bonus at level 90.

Syntonization could raise the percentage attack bonus further, adding another 10% at rank five for a total of 24.8%.

This blade had been strengthened so much. How much attack would it add at max level and rank five?

"Does this count as beginner equipment?"

Xu Qing picked up the blade and drew it with a clang.

A straight-backed blade appeared before him, its edge sharp and radiating a biting chill. He swung it a few times, and it whistled through the air.

Then again, in the game, this Sword could be considered a divine weapon in the old Rover's hands.

The old Rover used it to defeat Crownless and withstand a direct attack from Calcharo.

In the current Wuthering Waves story, this blade was unquestionably the toughest and strongest ace among two-star Swords.

"Nice, nice."

"Looks like these chests have incorporated the Douluo Continent's local characteristics."

"Does that mean chests like these are scattered all over the Douluo Continent?"

Xu Qing's eyes lit up.

For a lazy bum like him, finding treasure chests in a game was dull and tedious,

but finding them in the real world was a whole lot of fun.

And the things inside were genuinely useful.

The few Gold Soul Coins here alone were wonderful treasures.

One Gold Soul Coin was enough to cover three or four months of basic living expenses for a family of three.

Once he had settled down, he needed to make money to survive.

After working odd jobs and selling things, then deducting the cost of food, drink, and living expenses, everything he had managed to save amounted to just three Gold Soul Coins.

Now he had gotten several Gold Soul Coins by opening one chest. As far as he was concerned, he had struck it rich.

In high spirits, Xu Qing put everything into his character space.

His character space now totaled fourteen cubic meters.

It seemed to gain one cubic meter with each level. That was already great.

"I wonder if there are chests anywhere else."

Full of enthusiasm, Xu Qing wandered around the house, watching the small map.

Sure enough, he found two more basic treasure chests.

He obtained another five Low-Tier Soul Power Crystals, sixteen Gold Soul Coins, seven pieces of Hundred-Refined Fine Iron, and a Basic Energy Core.

This thing could provide weapon upgrade experience.

He immediately put the energy core into the Sword.

The Sword lit up and looked even sharper.

The panel changed immediately.

[Sword of Night: Level 2. Attack increased by 16%.]

"One level adds 1%. At level 90, it'll be at least 104%. That's more than double the attack."

"And I wonder how much more it'll add after syntonization rank five?"

Xu Qing suddenly looked forward to finding treasure chests even more.

"Rover, it's time to eat."

Just as Xu Qing was about to continue looking for chests, a furry tail curled around his body, and a sweet, alluring voice rang out.

"So you were looking for treasure chests, Rover."

Smiling, Hsin gathered Xu Qing into her arms and looked at the items in front of him.

"Did you find anything good?"

"Not bad. I got a fine village sword."

"And it's different from the weapon before..."

Xu Qing raised the Sword in his hand and told Hsin what he suspected.

"It really is different because this is a different world."

"But now you should eat properly, Rover."

Hsin nodded seriously, picked him up, and carried him toward the dining room.

"Put me down. I can walk."

Xu Qing protested.

"No."

Hsin's fox ears twitched smugly.

"It's much easier to carry you. You haven't grown up yet, Rover. Your legs are short, and you walk slowly."

"This body is only a few years old. How long could its legs be?" Xu Qing rolled his eyes.

"That's why I can just carry you, Rover."

"Besides, you haven't eaten properly these past few years. Look how thin you've gotten!"

"If I didn't carry you, I'm afraid the wind would blow you away."

Excuses.

You fox spirit just want to hold me.

In a cheerful mood, Hsin carried Xu Qing into the dining room.

The dining table was already laden with food.

There was chili oil shredded chicken, Jinzhou maocai, crispy roast pigeon, Chongzhou mapo tofu, and her specialty, Jade Tower,

which had originally been the basic dish, Azure Cloud Bamboo Soup.

Fresh spring bamboo shoots and salted meat were slow-cooked together, producing a milky-white broth. It was a classic dish with a rich, mellow flavor.

But Hsin had cooked it according to her own understanding, creating an even more special dish.

When they reached the table, Hsin had no intention of putting Xu Qing in the seat of honor. Instead, she sat down herself and let him lean against her.

Xu Qing wanted to feed himself, but Hsin smiled and held his hand down. She picked up some chili oil shredded chicken and brought it to his mouth, cupping her other hand beneath it.

Xu Qing opened his mouth and ate it. It was numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant, with a full chicken flavor.

It tasted several times better than what he had eaten before transmigrating.

"How does it taste, Rover?"

"It's delicious, really delicious. Several times better than what I used to eat."

Having received his approval, Hsin whipped her tail back and forth behind the chair like a big dog that had just been praised.

"I told you, you won't find anyone else in Mournstead with cooking skills like mine."

She scooped up another spoonful of soup, blew on it repeatedly, and tested the temperature with her lips before bringing it to his mouth.

Xu Qing gave her a strange look, but the spoon remained at his lips, so he had no choice but to drink.

Then she picked up a piece of crispy roast pigeon and brought it to his mouth.

"Don't just fuss over me. You eat too."

"You first, Rover."

Hsin smiled as she spoke, her hands moving without pause as she picked up another slice of meat and offered it to him.

Xu Qing turned his head aside to dodge it, took another pair of chopsticks, and held some shredded chicken to her mouth.

Hsin froze for a moment, then ate it and chewed carefully.

"Mm, this taste... why is it so different from when I sampled it just now?"

"?" Xu Qing looked at her in confusion.

"Did the flavor change that quickly? Were the seasonings not mixed evenly?"

"No, I know why."

Hsin looked at him with a smile. "Because you fed it to me, Rover. It was originally delicious enough to score ten points, but now it's worth a hundred. No, a thousand."

"..."

Xu Qing was at a loss for words.

"Didn't it all come from the same pot? How could it suddenly taste ten or a hundred times better?"

"It's different. It must be because it passed through your hands, Rover, that it became so delicious."

Hsin spoke with complete conviction. "You'll have to feed me more often from now on, Rover."

"You're taking a mile after being given an inch."

"No, I'm not."

"You've already fed me, Rover. If you don't do it again, I won't be used to it."

"All right, all right."

Xu Qing sighed.

If it meant getting to eat delicious food, he could feed her.

Having received his permission, Hsin beamed, and she and Xu Qing took turns feeding each other the food.

"Hm?"

"What is it, Rover?"

At that moment, Xu Qing noticed something peculiar after eating the food.

Not only did his body feel warm, but his physical condition was actually improving. His strength and defense had increased, and even his Soul Power had risen a little.

Hsin's special dish, Jade Tower, in particular, actually carried a special power.

He felt that his recovery had sped up by about half.

"I feel like my stamina, defense, and strength have all improved a little. This dish in particular has even increased my recovery by half."

Xu Qing pointed at Jade Tower.

In the game, all these foods had special effects.

For example, chili oil shredded chicken reduced sprinting and swimming stamina consumption by 15%.

Jinzhou maocai increased critical hit rate by 28%.

Crispy roast pigeon increased defense by 50%.

Chongzhou mapo tofu: Shell Credits obtained after defeating enemies +55%.

Jade Tower: Increased healing bonus by 55%.

He truly hadn't expected these foods to have effects in the Douluo World too.

Huh.

Wasn't this just like popping pills?

"Of course."

"These are ingredients Hsin cooked with great care, so naturally they have special effects like these."

Hsin spoke with a smile.

Xu Qing nodded to show he understood.

"From now on, Hsin will cook even more delicious food for you, Rover."

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Hsin sent a clone to clear away the leftovers.

Xu Qing had originally wanted to start cultivating the technique Hsin had given him.

But Hsin said it wouldn't be too late to start tomorrow. What her little Rover needed more was to eat and drink well and get a good rest.

Unable to win against her, Xu Qing had no choice but to let her carry him back to his room to rest.

"Could you not hold me so tight? It's a little too stuffy."

In the room, Xu Qing helplessly struggled free of Hsin's embrace and took a breath of fresh air.

This fox carried a pair of peerless weapons. Though they were soft and fragrant, they had nearly smothered him to death.

"No can do. (*∩_∩*) My wielder should be covered in my scent."

"Let me get some proper rest. We have plenty of time ahead of us, so what are you worried about?"

Hsin thought he had a point. She had taken the lead so early, after all. Curling her fox tails around them, she bundled them both up.

Just like a great fox protecting her cub.

Seeing that the fox spirit had stopped causing trouble, Xu Qing rested easy.

Early the next morning, in the courtyard.

Swish, swish.

Xu Qing held a Sword and swung it with a proper form, while Hsin stood beside him, correcting his improper movements.

Xu Qing practiced several times and quickly grasped the essentials. His movements were swift and seamless, and the sound of the blade cutting through the air rang out without pause.

As he executed the final sword move, a burst of force shot from the Sword's blade, cleaving a wooden training dummy in front of him in two.

Xu Qing was stunned. Was his comprehension really that strong?

After practicing a sword technique just a few times, he could execute it like flowing clouds and running water.

He had even cut the wooden dummy clean in two with a single stroke.

"As expected of my wielder."

Hsin's eyes sparkled.

"Uh, no, it's because you taught me well, Hsin. Thanks."

It was probably because he had contracted the Xinyue Fox, increasing his talent and comprehension. Together with her instruction, that had allowed him to improve so quickly.

Otherwise, how could he, who had disliked exercise before transmigrating, have performed a sword technique as smoothly as flowing clouds and running water?

The corners of Hsin's mouth slowly lifted, and her fox ears twitched.

"What are you thanking me for? It's only natural for me to teach my own husband, but-"

Hsin bent down and cupped Xu Qing's cheeks.

"Afterward, my wielder will have to 'work Hsin' hard more often."

"..."

"Fox spirit, you must get shocked quite a lot, huh?"

"Do you like playing that way, my wielder? I'm fine with it. Oh, right, there's the double heaven of ice and fire, too."

Xu Qing was just about to pinch the fox spirit's cheeks and tell her to wait.

Once he grew up, she would be crying for her parents. Just then, someone knocked on the gate.

"Hm? Who's being so annoying?"

Hsin, who had been planning to tease her own little wielder some more, looked at the gate with disdain.