Chapter 243: The Wrench and the Balloon |
After claiming his evaluation rewards, Bai Mu went to browse the Adventure Script shop. The Garden Plant Cards did not offer anything new, but he ended up buying a wrench and a balloon.
[Name: Mighty Dave's Wrench]
[Type: Melee Weapon]
[Quality: Rare]
[Attack Power: Low]
[Effect: Grants the skill "Quick Repair," which consumes 30% Stamina to restore one Rare-grade or lower electronic/mechanical item to normal working condition.] [Note: Mighty Dave's auto repair wrench. When he holds this wrench, he enters work mode.]
This wrench cost 1,000 Points. Since its only effect was providing a repair skill, it logically was not worth the price. However, Bai Mu sensed a clue hidden in its note.
It seemed this wrench could form a hidden set combination with Mighty Dave's Bandana. He suspected the true value of this wrench was not the repair skill itself, but rather its status as exclusive advanced equipment for the "Mighty Dave" persona.
Otherwise, a price tag of 1,000 Points was way too steep of a markup.
Since he did not have any transformation charges left for the bandana, he could not test it just yet. However, he remembered the Appraisal Mirror he had purchased from the Lonely Swordsman. He took it out and shone it on the wrench. Aside from an extra entry stating, "Its owner cherishes it deeply," it yielded no further information.
He had already bought it, and there was no recycling bin where he could return it for a refund.
As for the balloon, it was much cheaper, costing only 400 Points. It was the exact same type of balloon he had snatched from the Balloon Zombie. [Name: Balloon Zombie's Balloon]
[Type: Special Item]
[Quality: Rare]
[Note: Highly prone to popping and leaking air. The Balloon Zombie relied on this kind of balloon to fly toward the sun because it mistook the sun for a giant, glowing brain.]
This was a flight-type item. Although it had many flaws—such as being difficult to steer and easy to pop—it was ultimately a tool that could allow Bai Mu to take to the skies.
There was no telling when it might come in handy, so it never hurt to have one prepared. Plus, it was relatively cheap; compared to the massive fortune Bai Mu had farmed in his last Script, this expense was just a drop in the bucket.
As for everything else, Bai Mu had little desire to buy them. They were mostly similar types of Garden Plant Cards, such as the "Cabbage-pult" and "Cactus." The functions of these plants overlapped with the Plant Cards he already owned, so there was no need to hoard them.
Besides, he had already spent quite a few Points. Upgrading his Secret Sword Art and purchasing iron greaves had cost him 2,900 Points. Factoring in his newly bought inventory expansion items, replenished consumables, and his recent Adventure Script shop purchases, he had shelled out a total of 6,500 Points.
Now that he had to train an extra mage teammate, earning more meant he also had more places to spend it. He only had a little over 4,000 Points left, and half of that rightfully belonged to Xiao Wei.
Spending so many Points yielded obvious improvements. Xiao Wei, who had been wearing rags in the last Script, was now armed to the teeth. Her full-body armor was even better than Bai Mu's, offering not only high defense but also a substantial amount of shielding.
Her skillset had also expanded, meeting the standard in terms of utility. At the very least, she could now be considered a qualified teammate capable of participating in a C-rank Script. Finally, with two Roulette Draws remaining, Bai Mu used them both in one go. He won a "Potato Mine" Plant Card and a rare headpiece, the "Football Zombie Helmet."
This helmet was essentially an upgraded version of a cone hat. It could protect the entire head, boasted higher defense, and came with a passive skill that increased running speed.
Now Bai Mu had two interchangeable headpieces: the Mushroom Hat for offense and the Football Zombie Helmet for defense. With this, he had finally finished tallying his gains from the Script, and he stretched out his arms with a long, satisfying groan.
As for his Media Journalist news, only the information regarding the Balloon Zombie was viable to sell. It was better than nothing, netting him 240 Points and 500 profession experience.
This was to be expected. The Script had been short and intense, just one part of a much larger series. Judging by the ending cutscene, Dr. Zomboss, who piloted the giant robot, was the true final boss. "The Lost Sunflowers" was merely a transitional Script.
He did not feel particularly exhausted, but he still chose not to rush straight into his next Script.
It was not that he wanted to take a break. The main reason was the experience bar of his Secret Sword Art. By endlessly hacking at Zombies, he had leveled the skill to level 4. He was only a little over 100 experience points away from upgrading his blade art to level 5.
Level 5 was considered a watershed moment for the Secret Sword Art. Originally, his blade aura could only reach about three meters. Upon reaching level 5, the length of the aura would double to six meters. Furthermore, he could consume Mana to imbue it with a "cutting" special effect, causing the blade aura to release a small-scale, localized slicing attack similar to a "Blade Storm" upon striking the target.
This was a massive improvement. He decided to spend a few days grinding the skill to level 5 before queueing up for a new Script.
He could earn five experience points per hour, meaning thirty hours of training would just about do it. It honestly would not take that much time.
He summoned Xiao Wei, letting her watch TV in the room to stave off boredom, while he began his grinding journey next to the bed. He had bought a curtain from the Community store to separate his exercise equipment from the TV and the bed, and he also set up an iron pillar to serve as a punching bag.
The Community did not prohibit him from practicing the Secret Sword Art, likely because it was a "martial arts" skill. The Community's restrictions merely prevented Players from casting energy-based skills like the Fireball Spell, but they did not limit physical movements. As long as he swung his blade following the forms of the Secret Sword Art, it counted as practice.
He did not have to worry about anything outside of practicing his swordplay. When the time came, Xiao Wei would cook for him, and after they ate, she would head to the kitchen to wash the dishes. She had also learned how to use the showerhead, so whenever Bai Mu finished his training drenched in sweat, she would have a hot bath ready for him in advance, complete with a fresh change of clothes and clean towels. With all the chores delegated to Xiao Wei, Bai Mu trained comfortably for three days until he finally heard a notification chime.
[Secret Sword Art Experience +5]
[Secret Sword Art has leveled up to lv.5]
Heaven Rewards the Diligent. He shook his sore arms and lowered the Flaming Sword. The iron pillar in front of him was now covered in countless slash marks. The next level required 500 experience points; using this manual grinding method would honestly be pure torture. After taking a shower and having a meal with Xiao Wei, he immediately lay down on his bed to rest.
He prepared to recover his energy so he could queue straight into the next Script.