Chapter 83: Luo! How is it you again!

Qin Chuan embraced the ice cream that flew and pounced at him, opened its panel, and began upgrading.

Previously, giving Shui Hua a one-time upgrade to Growth Tier Lv20 consumed most of Qin Chuan's experience items; even with the two days' daily settlement replenishment and achievement gains, the experience gems were only enough to upgrade the ice cream by five levels.

However, in the upcoming resource exploration, Qin Chuan will no longer overlook ice-type experience fruits; combined with the daily settlement gains, the ice cream will reach Lv20 soon.

【Spirit Beast Species: Frost Doll】

【Spirit Beast Attribute: Ice】

【Spirit Beast Level: Growth Tier Lv15】 (0/500)

【Spirit Beast Trait: Fearless Heart】

【Spirit Beast Species Value: 1400】

【Spirit Beast Affection: 81%】

【Spirit Beast Skills: Frost Cold (Passive), Breaking Frost Slash (Active), Seek Frost Trace (Active), Snow Shadow (Active)】

"Indeed." Qin Chuan looked at the ice cream and said, "Ice cream, use Snow Shadow."

【Spirit Beast Introduction: Ice Spirit Beast Frost Doll, an assassin hidden in frost and snow, endowed with an innate longsword that grants it unwavering belief.】

One silhouette shattered, condensing into two.

"Eh~"

Getting stronger every day truly worries people.

Directly constructing a clone would probably be easily seen through by opponents.

He took back his previous statement.

Interesting.

Still, let's first check out the new skill.

The ice cream nodded, floated forward a distance, and during the float its form split into two, becoming two silhouettes without a trace.

It's actually a clone?

Qin Chuan's face showed a look of surprise.

Who can tell which is the real body!

"Press the corners of your mouth." Yue Li beside him couldn't help laughing at Qin Chuan's appearance, saying, "Looking like this, the ice cream's third skill should be good."

It actually feels somewhat like an assassin's sure-strike.

But if Seek Frost Trace is used first, then Snow Shadow, the situation is completely different.

"Huh?" Qin Chuan rubbed his chin.

In that case, Breaking Frost Slash is the ice cream's sole output skill at this stage.

In just an instant, Qin Chuan thought of how to apply this new skill.

Whether Seek Frost Trace or Snow Shadow, both are meant to conceal a decisive strike.

【Snow Shadow: Active skill, constructs a clone identical to oneself from frost and snow; the clone cannot attack and automatically shatters after 20 seconds.】

Glancing at the species value as high as 1400, Qin Chuan calculated on his fingers that his transcendent value had already reached 2814.

After completing the advancement, the ice cream's affection surpassed the 80% threshold, and subsequent upgrades increased it by another 1%.

Even if used alone, this skill seems hard to see through.

"Clone!" Yue Li beside him also looked surprised, saying, "If this ability were brought to reality, it would be interesting."

"Yeah." Qin Chuan nodded with a smile, saying, "Lucky time is short; I'll first scout nearby resources."

"Good!" Yue Li nodded repeatedly.

Gnomon's Second Endowment, activate!

Qin Chuan looked at the map that appeared before his eyes; after a round of screening, his expression suddenly turned surprised.

"Are there any good things today?" Yue Li's eyes lit up.

"Well..." Qin Chuan gave a mysterious smile.

"If I reveal it in advance, there would be no surprise in treasure hunting."

——

While Qin Chuan and Yue Li began a new round of the treasure-hunting mini-game, on the other side of zone 3675, player KA, ranked second on the Juvenile Stage Spirit Beast List, trekked several kilometers, arrived at a certain spot, and then paced back and forth anxiously, as if waiting for something.

After about ten or so minutes, he was joined by a player named Zhong Xi.

"KA?" Zhong Xi sized up KA, speaking fluent Bang language as he asked.

"It's me!" KA quickly nodded, responding likewise in Bang language.

In reality, KA is a Bang national.

At this moment he was very excited, because the player before him named Zhong Xi possessed exactly what he needed most.

The final low-grade resource needed for his spirit beast's advancement.

The two's resource exchange was not in reality, but in the Dream World.

Such an outdated resource exchange method is unimaginable in the Yanhuang State, but it is currently mainstream in the Bang State.

And the reason is also simple.

The Bang State has yet to establish a truly credible trading platform to this day.

After the Blue Star 2.1 version update, several online trading platforms sprang up overnight in the Bang State, but soon players attempting to trade resources discovered that the resources they handed over vanished, and they were told, "The resources were lost in transit and cannot be recovered."

Compensation? No problem! Give it!

Every player who lost resources received a substantial compensation.

But the problem is that what they currently need is not compensation, but the resources they themselves require.

This is clearly a near‑forced‑buy‑and‑sell scheme.

These utterly untrustworthy online trading platforms each have behind‑the‑scenes involvement of Bang State conglomerates, leaving ordinary players with no recourse to pursue redress.

After several days of frequent occurrences, Bang Guo's players finally saw through the so-called online trading platform and began attempting offline trades with others.

But such trades often result in situations where, after going alone, one is ambushed and robbed of resources by the other party.

Report the other party for robbery?

The resources in the Dream World have not yet been recognized by Bang Guo's law as citizens' property; merely seizing resources cannot be charged as robbery, at most causing injury during the scuffle, letting the snatcher pay medical expenses.

And this is also done intentionally by the conglomerate.

Among these offline trade contacts, they likewise have planted their own people.

Since both online and offline fail, ordinary Bang Guo people, in the real world where they can exchange resources, ultimately took the most primitive path.

They seek players from the same area and agree to exchange resources at a fixed location.

Because a player's appearance in a given game area is random, although the conglomerate can also plant people, there may only be one or two Bang Guo players in the same area.

This is actually safer.

After confirming each other's identities, the two Bang Guo players completed the resource exchange.

Zhong Xi didn't linger and left immediately.

Meanwhile, KA quickly used the obtained resources for advancement.

As the light of advancement rose, his expression gradually became excited.

Finally, I've completed the advancement!

He wants to leave that damned, unlucky Juvenile Tier Spirit Beast Ranking!

Although his ranking will surely be lower on the Growth Tier Spirit Beast Ranking, even if it's lower, he doesn't want to be the eternal runner-up on the Juvenile Tier Spirit Beast Ranking!

Although he couldn't catch up to Luo and Yue Li, those two freaks, at least he surpassed Luo's second contracted spirit beast, right?

Thinking of this, KA excitedly opened the Growth Tier Spirit Beast Ranking.

The next moment, his smile suddenly vanished.

His Growth Tier Spirit Beast Ranking is in 32nd place.

And the 31st place above him is so familiar.

【Spirit Beast Ranking (Growth Tier) 31st】

【Area: 3675】

【Player Name: Luo】

【Listed Spirit Beast: Frost Doll】

【Current Tier of Listed Spirit Beast: Growth Tier Lv15】

【Reference Battle Record: None】

KA's expression suddenly turned ferocious, his face gradually flushing red.

"Luo! How is it you again!!!"

(End of chapter)