Chapter 54: Long Wushuang, The Invitation!

However, reactive defensive skills often come with limitations regarding the environment—they cannot move with the user, confining protection to a single spot. Moreover, if the activation timing is slower than a particularly swift attack, one might witness the peculiar spectacle of a shield rising only after its bearer has already fallen.

The undershirt before him managed to provide round-the-clock protection primarily because it did not rely on energy-based force fields for defense, but rather on the inherent strength and toughness of its materials. After withstanding an attack, the structure of the undershirt would be destroyed, yet after a period of time—about an hour—it would restore itself. This was because it had been crafted from a memory material.

As such, this undershirt was truly worthy of its gold-tier classification. In fact, if its defensive power were higher—sufficient to withstand platinum- or diamond-tier assaults—its rating could be even greater.

Wang Chen was quite satisfied and turned his attention to another piece of equipment:

[Boots of the Tree of Life]
[Type: Footgear]
[Level Requirement: Level 9]
[Effect: Increases Agility by 180 points when worn]
[Durability: 80/80]
[Attached Skill: Rockbreaking Stance—while wearing these boots, the user can traverse all manner of extreme terrain with ease, and even when struck by the full force of a gold-tier beast, their feet will remain firmly planted, immune to knockback.]

This piece of equipment was one Wang Chen deemed essential after his journey through the Marsh of the Dead. It would ensure his invincibility across the bizarre landscapes he anticipated facing. As a shaman who could infinitely layer protective armor upon himself, it would simply be too comical if he were sent flying by a massive, penetrating blow—even if unscathed.

These boots solved that problem perfectly. As for the agility bonus, it might not seem much at first glance, but combined with the double application of Divine Speed, unless someone specialized in agility, who could hope to catch up with him?

Stowing both pieces of equipment, along with a bundle of newly purchased potions, into his ring, Wang Chen accepted his bank card back, the payment having been deducted, and rose to take his leave.

Altogether, these purchases had cost him twelve million credits, leaving him with eight million Tianlong coins. Money rolled in, and money rolled out just as swiftly. Yet Wang Chen felt no particular disturbance in his heart. With the Reversal System at his disposal, he could very well become the richest man alive simply by reselling equipment—it was a guaranteed profit, after all.

Moreover, he had far too many avenues for making money. Now, he could count on a steady dividend from the shop managed by Qian Xiaomin. Whatever she decided to do, with a store of that size, profits were assured—even renting it out would suffice.

Besides, if Na’er felt comfortable entrusting the shop to Qian Xiaomin, it meant the girl was reliable and possessed a certain talent for business. Furthermore, Wang Chen now controlled the trade route between humans and the fae sanctuaries; even casually reselling a few unique alchemical materials could fill his coffers to the brim.

Short on cash? That worry would never again be relevant to Wang Chen.

…

Returning home, Wang Chen took a shower and tried on his new equipment. The undershirt, though vest-like in appearance, spread across his body like a nanoweave suit the moment he put it on, covering every inch of skin. Yet he felt no stuffiness at all—the material was so breathable that it felt as though he wore nothing. He suspected that, should he keep it on for ten days or half a month, he might well forget he was wearing it at all.

As he reviewed the day’s acquisitions, pondering over the heap of potions and considering strategies for future battles, his phone rang.

Wang Chen glanced at the caller. It was Long Wushuang.

He smiled to himself—he hadn’t spoken to the guy in days. Such is the friendship between men: sometimes they go a week or two without speaking, but when needed, a single call would bring them together from the ends of the earth.

As soon as Wang Chen answered, Wushuang’s characteristically cheeky voice rang out: “Chen! I’ve reached level nine! By the end of this week, I’ll definitely advance to my second class transfer! How about you?”

Wang Chen chuckled. “Not bad. I’m just a tiny bit ahead of you.”

“Damn! That means you’re already level ten! You’re so fast!” Long Wushuang teased.

“Ahem, a man shouldn’t be called fast, but rather… vigorous!”

“All right, Vigorous Wang!” Long Wushuang joked, laughing. “So when are you going to do your class transfer quest? Want me to come with?”

“Uh, actually, my level ten is already after finishing my second class transfer,” Wang Chen replied.

“What?” Long Wushuang was momentarily stunned into silence.

For Wang Chen to level up faster than him was already impressive, since his awakened class wasn’t particularly strong. Long Wushuang had thought Wang Chen’s rapid progress must have come at the cost of immense hardship—perhaps even sleepless nights grinding weaker beasts for experience points. Yet Wang Chen had already completed his second class transfer. No amount of sleepless grinding could make that possible—the second transfer quest simply wasn’t so easy.

“Chen, did you get a one-star quest?” Wushuang asked.

“Let me be modest—it was actually a five-star quest,” Wang Chen replied in a joking tone.

“Yeah, right. If you were unlucky enough to get a five-star quest, the two of us would have to break our piggy banks and hire an adventurer team to drag you through it,” Long Wushuang said.

Wang Chen felt a wave of warmth at those words. He knew that Wushuang would truly do that for him.

“Fortunately, I passed without trouble, so we don’t have to go hungry,” Wang Chen said with a laugh.

“That’s more than just passing! Chen, your speed is faster than even the top students at Second High,” Long Wushuang said. “But thinking about it, I guess it’s only natural—you were always the best at First High.”

Long Wushuang breathed a silent sigh of relief. He'd been worried that Wang Chen, with a mediocre awakened class compared to his stellar academic record, might become discouraged. After experiencing the grind of leveling up himself, he realized how tough it truly was—it was no longer just hearsay. He’d even been thinking about how to cheer Wang Chen up, and if all else failed, maybe get him drunk and drag him off to the red-light district.

But Wang Chen had already reached his second class transfer by his own efforts, far outpacing Wushuang. It made him genuinely happy for his friend. The idea that Wang Chen might be lying never crossed his mind—he knew Wang Chen’s character too well.

“In that case, this is perfect. My dad managed to get two passes for a Virtual Realm Experience. Are you free tomorrow? The two of us can go together,” Long Wushuang said with excitement.

Wang Chen was bewildered. “Virtual Realm Experience? What’s that?”

“It’s hard to explain over the phone. You’ll see when we get there,” Long Wushuang replied mysteriously. “I promise you, it'll be worth your while.”

Wang Chen laughed and agreed.

“Great, let’s meet at the city’s research center at ten tomorrow morning,” said Long Wushuang.

Wang Chen ended the call. Seeing that it was getting late, he went straight to bed. He slept soundly and was soon lost in dreams.