CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38 THE STUDIO WHERE SOMEONE DIED

"My body, indeed, has some unusual aspects. Attribute enhancements allow me to directly obtain a Sequence for the attribute values, and this is pretty impressive."

After spending 333 units of energy, Lu Luo now had only 140 units of energy left. Those were obtained from killing Exotic Species and from absorbing the rain.

He had no immediate plans to use this energy. It would be better to wait until he officially became a Transcendent before attempting a breakthrough. For now, he just needed to persist in meditating to form an energy point and to make the breakthrough to the First Tier.

"Keep going."

Lu Luo continued to sit cross-legged, resuming his absorption of the free Dark Energy around him using Devourer. This process went on for a full two hours, until...

[Through your relentless efforts in operating the second path, you have successfully converted 0.1 unit of energy from the free Dark Energy.]

Lu Luo: "This is energy! How is the pace of my cultivation?"

[If a full score is 100, you would probably reach 80, which is the bottom of the high level.]

"That counts as high-level talent?"

[You don’t understand the speed of cultivation. In 2 hours, you’ve converted 0.1 unit of energy. If you cultivate incessantly, you could accumulate up to 100 units of energy in just over 80 days, enough to qualify for an energy point breakthrough. The average person would need about 3-5 years to reach the First Tier; your speed of cultivation is countless times faster compared to normal people. As for your peers, only Gu Fangyi has a talent slightly better than yours, but not for much longer. Your talent for cultivation is not static. Remember, your S-02-Devourer is only at level 1.]

"Sequence S-02-Devourer! If it reaches level 2, what would my talent score be?"

[100 points, which is the limit for normal people. A level 2 Devourer, by my calculations, would be around 120.]

Lu Luo squinted. The current progress was fairly quick, but resources were still severely lacking.

"The fundamental problem is still the lack of money. How much could my cultivation speed increase if I were to practice outside the Wall?"

[The further out you go, the wider the gap becomes. If you cultivate beyond the Wall, the speed is at least four times faster than inside. As for beyond the outer regions of the Wall, information is insufficient!]

"Four times, and that’s just the minimum. No wonder Hunters prefer to stay outside the Wall; beyond the Wall’s outer regions..."

Lu Luo didn’t explain why he was short on money, nor did he ask how those wealthy people cultivated. Because he knew that, in addition to free Dark Energy and the area beyond the Wall, there was something known as Dark Spirit Stones. Dark Spirit Stones could directly provide Dark Energy. If one had the money, the only limit to their cultivation speed would then be their talent.

"Money is almighty, the same in any world."

In the following days, Lu Luo started to behave much more earnestly, simply finding a house with a rooftop to quietly cultivate every day, then wait for the rain.

Moreover, he understood that if he didn’t actually lack money and owe a debt of 250,000, who would diligently cultivate? Why not splurge on Dark Spirit Stones instead?

A child without money can only wait for the rain. Otherwise, they can only diligently cultivate. In 14 days, he accumulated a total of 9 units of energy.

This speed was fast, but it also meant that Lu Luo was almost constantly cultivating, apart from sleeping. Squandering the prime years of youth, not pursuing girls or enjoying life, but instead engaging in the arduous task of cultivation, it would be unjust to call him anything but hardworking.

...

Gu Fangyi gradually regained his health, and while it would strain him to fight at this time, he no longer had issues with daily life.

Today was the last day of the holiday and also the day the three friends were to reunite. The reason for their gathering was that Zhou Kai had rented a storefront opposite the East Ring Wasteland Security Bureau at the bargain price of 450 Alliance Paper Money a month.

They had signed a 2-year lease, and Zhou Kai had paid the first installment of 1,350 Alliance Paper Money for the rent.

This matter of determining the location of their office was important, and all three shareholders needed to be present to oversee the construction site. Of course, they were both the contractors and the laborers—the construction workers were the three of them.

"This used to be an art studio. The landlord told me that because the paintings couldn’t be sold, they planned to transfer ownership, but that fell through, and so the landlord decided to rent it out instead," Zhou Kai explained.

Looking at the worn-out "Yunna Art Studio" sign above the door, Lu Luo turned to Zhou Kai and asked, "Didn’t you ask the landlord why the rent here is so cheap?"

"Uh, I didn’t ask. It seemed cheap, so I just rented it," Zhou Kai replied, scratching his head sheepishly.

Lu Luo was somewhat speechless. Reproaching others while relying on them to handle matters was something he couldn’t bring himself to do. In his previous life, he had done something similar, and the consequences were severe—it was after the incident of a ten-year assistant becoming an insider threat that he ended up thrown into a river. So even though Zhou Kai had many shortcomings in his work, Lu Luo wouldn’t chastise him. After all, the guy did do the work. And although there was a big difference between doing something and doing it well, you couldn’t always hold others to your own standards, could you?

"This is right at the doorstep of the Wasteland Security Bureau, a place that’s worth its weight in gold even in the Fourth Ring, so there has to be a reason for such cheap rent, right?"

Lu Luo walked to the door next to the studio and entered a place called "A Qiang’s Tool Shop."

Standing in front of the counter, he put down a 10-unit piece of Alliance Paper Money and then asked the shop owner, "Boss, do you know why the rent for the studio next door is so cheap?"

The owner naturally picked up the money Lu Luo had handed over and said in a Southern Ring accent, "Of course, I know, people died there, and not just one, mind you. Even my business has been affected, such bad luck."

"Who died?"

"The previous owner of the studio and his wife. No clear cause of death, but the Hunters came that day, so it must have been no small matter."

"Okay, thank you, Boss!"

"Hey, handsome."

"What’s up, Boss?" Lu Luo returned with a smile on his face.

"Wait a minute, I can’t just take your money for nothing. There’s a little something I didn’t tell you!"

"Alright, go ahead, Boss."

"Lately, there have been several cases of Exotic Species mutations in the East Ring, it’s even been in the newspapers. And it’s true for this area too, only it hasn’t been reported yet. You be careful!"

The owner’s accent was quite amusing, and Lu Luo adjusted his form of address, bringing their relationship a step closer.

"Thanks, Brother Qiang."

"No problem, handsome."

...

As he left the tool shop, Zhou Kai immediately came up to him.

"How did it go? Did you find out anything?"

Lu Luo’s face turned a bit grim. In his previous life’s scientific society, a house where someone had died would see a significant drop in price, let alone in a Wasteland world inhabited by creatures like Specter Species.

"Two people have died here, and Hunters have been involved. However, they’ve suppressed the incident, so many people are unaware of the murder that took place here, and there might have been Exotic Species involved."

Zhou Kai’s face instantly fell. "So what do we do? School starts tomorrow, and we can’t find another place now."

Gu Fangyi’s gaze turned to Lu Luo, his face clearly saying: Ask him.

Lu Luo pondered for a moment, then gestured toward the room with his chin.

"Have you gone inside to take a look?"

"No, I’ve been waiting for you guys."

"Then let’s go in and have a look first."

"Brother Luo, I am a bit scared."

"You’ve seen and even killed Exotic Species. What are you scared of now?"

"No, it’s just that my charm that wards off evil is waning."

Zhou Kai’s face looked as bitter as a gourd, but upon hearing this, both Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi immediately went on alert.

Lu Luo took out the Wraith Blade and handed a Mercenary Warblade to Zhou Kai. Gu Fangyi pulled out his revolver, and the two advanced into the studio, one in front and one behind, with Zhou Kai following.

According to the landlord, the place was 110 square meters, split over two floors. The first floor was already in a state of disrepair, with paintbrushes, palettes, easels, and splatters of paint everywhere.

Red paint was the most prevalent, so much so that Lu Luo’s foot felt sticky when he stepped on it.

He bent down slightly, rubbing some of the red paint with his finger.

[Don’t rub it anymore, it’s not what you think. This isn’t blood, and you, being illiterate, can’t recognize this stuff. Crimson dye, a type of Dark Spirit material, is commonly used for drawing rituals. However, to smear it all over the floor like this is a tremendous waste. The dye on the floor seems to be drawing something; it would be better to clean this up and see the whole picture.]