Chapter 108: Updated System Store
Liam walked into the marble-lined bathroom of Bellemere Mansion, turned on the shower, and let warm water cascade down his body.
The wasteland’s dust, the forest’s grime, and the sweat from his clash with the Ironblood Bear all washed away, swirling down the drain.
His body had endured blows that would have crushed an ordinary man, and while the starfish’s regeneration had already done wonders for the shallow wounds, there was still faint soreness in his ribs and muscles. But he was actually proud of the pain.
It’s not that he’s a masochist but this was his first actual fight, and with a monster no less. And it was a battle in which he came out alive from. He felt that he should be proud of the pain.
Just like one person said; only through experiencing pain can the world understand true peace.
***
After Liam was done bathing, he dried himself off and changed into comfortable clothes, before slumping onto his massive bed, sinking into the soft mattress.
The ceiling fan spun lazily above, but his attention was elsewhere, still restless and filled with the thrill of it the battle. He just can’t get it out of his head. It will take a bit of time.
While still thinking about that, he heard Lucy’s voice.
"Sir, I thought you should know that the axolotl regenerative trait infusion has been completed."
Liam blinked in surprise, then smiled, before rolling onto his back. "Already?"
"Yes. It was actually completed a few seconds ago."
As if to confirm her words, the faint ache in his ribs faded away almost instantly, dissolving into nothing. Even the mild stiffness in his back evaporated. He exhaled slowly, stretching his arms above his head.
"Perfect. With this, I can push myself in that world as much as I want," he whispered, smiling to himself.
The starfish had given him rapid regeneration, yes, but the axolotl trait was different. It was refined. His cells were now healing perfectly, leaving behind no scar tissue, weakness or imperfection.
For a moment, Liam was tempted to jump straight back into the cultivation world. To feel that rush again, to push himself even further now that he had three regenerative traits stacked on top of his nanite enhancements. But he stopped himself, forcing patience.
No need to act reckless. I’ll wait. Ten minutes, maybe thirty. Then I’ll go back.
While he waited, another thought surfaced — a very important one. He sat up slightly, eyes narrowing as the idea crystallized in his mind.
"System," he said aloud, "tell me something. Can I sign-in in the cultivation world?"
It was an important question because being able to sign-in there will open a whole new door of opportunities for him. Even without yet receiving a response from the system, he was already imagining the type of rewards he will receive from the sign-in and how crazy they are going to be.
[Yes, Host. You can perform sign-ins in other worlds. Rewards will match the universe you are currently in.]
Liam froze, when he heard. Then he smiled to himself.
"Rewards that match the universe..." he whispered.
He could already picture them. Spirit stones, rare herbs, cultivation techniques, treasures straight out of the novels he used to read.
If Earth gave me Nvidia and Microsoft shares... What kind of insane treasures would a cultivation world offer? Legendary martial arts manuals? Ancient divine weapons? Heaven-and-earth treasures that could shatter bottlenecks? Maybe even my own personal hidden realms. Just imagining it is making me want them more!
His pulse quickened just thinking about it.
"System," he asked again, "what about timing? Will the sign-ins be based on Earth’s time or the cultivation world’s?"
[Sign-ins will be calculated using Earth’s time.]
"Perfect," Liam muttered with a sharp nod. "That means no matter how much time passes in that world, my rewards will stay aligned to Earth. I won’t lose out."
He leaned back on his bed, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks, system."
[It is my pleasure to serve, Host.]
Liam chuckled softly, shaking his head. Still, there was one thing that gnawed at him: he had already performed his daily sign-in earlier. Which meant, even with the new universe unlocked, he couldn’t test the feature yet.
"I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow," he sighed, but his smile returned quickly, though. "And when tomorrow comes... God, the rewards are going to be insane. I just know that."
With nothing else to do, Liam shifted his focus. He decided to check the system store to see what new items were added as a new universe has been unlocked. He remembered what the system said then about items in the store being affected by the universe available.
He opened the system store interface, the sleek blue panels of light appearing before his eyes and he saw a couple of notifications.
[Ding!]
[New universe detected. Items in the store have been updated.]
[Host can exchange new world’s currencies for system points.]
[Exchange Rates:
10 Gold Coins = 1 System Point
1 Low-Grade Spirit Stone = 1 System Point
1 Mid-Grade Spirit Stone = 10 System Points
1 High-Grade Spirit Stone = 100 System Points
1 Top-Grade Spirit Stone = 1000 System Points]
Liam sat up straighter, staring at the floating text, slightly taken aback by the exchange rate.
"So... ten gold coins equals a single system point," he muttered. "And spirit stones... they scale up insanely."
He frowned slightly. Based on the novels, spirit stones weren’t just money. They were cultivation fuel, cores of pure spiritual qi condensed into crystalline form. Which meant they were infinitely more valuable than gold.
By this logic... one top-grade spirit stone equals one thousand system points. That was ridiculous.
He leaned back, exhaling slowly. His head tilted as he considered it from a financial perspective.
"If one gold coin equals one thousand dollars... then ten gold coins are ten thousand. Which means one system point equals ten thousand dollars. Still the same rate as Earth’s."
He paused, then shook his head. "No. That’s too simple. I’ll only know the true value once I’m there. Exchange rates are one thing, but purchasing power... that’s what matters."
He decided not to waste time theorizing further. He would figure it out soon enough.
Instead, he scrolled deeper into the updated system store and his eyes widened slightly in disbelief when he saw the new items.
Qi Condensation Pill
Cost: 50 SP
Description: A basic pill that assists a cultivator in stepping into Qi Condensation Realm. Purifies meridians, clears minor blockages, and stabilizes spiritual roots. Useless once beyond Qi Condensation.
Spirit Recovery Pill
Cost: 30 SP (per pill)
Description: Quickly restores consumed qi reserves by 70%. Common pill among low-rank cultivators; a lifesaver in drawn-out battles.
Basic Sword Art: Flowing Water Slash
Cost: 100 SP
Description: An entry-level sword technique. Teaches the cultivator how to make their strikes flow seamlessly, like water. Increases strike speed and accuracy.
Low-Grade Spirit Gathering Formation Disk
Cost: 150 SP
Description: A portable formation inscribed onto a jade disk. When activated, it draws spiritual energy from a thirty-meter radius, condensing it to double the natural density for five hours.
Alchemy Beginner’s Manual
Cost: 200 SP
Description: A foundational manual that introduces fire control, cauldron resonance, and herb compatibility. Grants proficiency in refining top grade Grade-1 and Grade-2 pills.
Beast Taming Whistle
Cost: 300 SP
Description: A jade whistle carved with beast runes. Emits inaudible sounds that calm ordinary spirit beasts under Grade 3. Cannot control, only pacify.
Blood Tempering Technique
Cost: 500 SP
Description: A body refinement cultivation technique. Circulates qi into blood vessels, strengthening vitality, increasing physical toughness, and accelerating healing by 40%.