Alexander's heart skipped a beat; he knew the real benefits were about to be unveiled.

"You can choose between two power systems to enhance your chances of survival in the script space," Pinocchio announced. "The first is the Sacrificial Blade. By sacrificing an item, you can obtain a 'Sacrificial Blade' produced by the Evil Spirit Space. The second is the Shadow Beast. By sacrificing your shadow, you can nurture a 'Shadow Beast.' It will be your shadow, your guardian, and your sword."

"What are the advantages and disadvantages of these two systems?" Alexander inquired, seeking to confirm what he'd heard from Yulin and Carmen.

“Well, the Sacrificial Blade is quite powerful, with each blade having an enchantment effect that can greatly amplify its power. The Shadow Beast is your shadow transformed into a beast, drawing strength from your own body, making it extremely powerful. However, any damage it takes also affects your physical body,” Pinocchio explained.

"So, the Shadow Beast seems more powerful!" Eric mused aloud.

"Let me add something," Carmen interjected, standing up, his leg fully restored after reincarnation. In the Evil Spirit Space, any injury, as long as you still breathe, can be healed.

Despite his recovery, Carmen appeared visibly weary.

"While the Shadow Beast is indeed powerful, its drawbacks are significant. Not only does any damage it sustains transfer back to you, but if it gets killed, you will die as well."

"What?" Alexander's face fell, concern etched across it.

"In this Evil Spirit Space," Pinocchio continued coldly, "all power acquisition methods require an equivalent exchange, or, you might call it—The Law of Balance!"

"You want power, you must pay the price and take the risk, isn't that only natural?"

The trio lapsed into silence, until Alexander finally spoke. "I understand. But what is the cost for the Sacrificial Blade?"

"In essence, the blade itself is the price. You know, Yulin sacrificed something of great personal cost for his Sacrificial Blade."

Carmen informed them that Yulin had sacrificed part of his skull to create that weapon.

"His own skull?" Alexander and Eric exchanged a look, rendered speechless.

"But I would still recommend choosing the Sacrificial Blade. The Shadow Beast is exceedingly costly to maintain. Besides these two choices, there's another benefit for newcomers—a Fragmented Magic. It doesn't cost points, but magic potions are 180 points each. If you choose the Shadow Beast, your costs will double..." Carmen explained quietly. "By the time you enter the script world again in three months, without sufficient survival points, you'll be at a severe disadvantage."

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"That makes sense," Alexander mused.

"Given that, Eric, you go for the Shadow Beast, and I’ll choose the Sacrificial Blade," Alexander decided.

"Wait!" Both Carmen and Eric expressed surprise.

"It's okay. Don't forget we're a team. Evil Spirit Space tasks us with earning 100,000 points to escape, but alone, that's impossible. It's a team mission—we must cooperate closely to achieve this."

Alexander had decided.

"Eric, with the Shadow Beast, you'll be stronger and survive longer in the scripts. If your points run low, I'll lend you some in the script world. The same goes for you, Carmen. I'll exchange the tape for survival points, that’s an additional 1,000 points. I'll give each of you 500 for emergencies..."

"Are you sure about this?" Carmen asked skeptically.

"Absolutely. To survive, one person's power isn't enough. Only by banding together can we hope to succeed."

Alexander resumed his inquiry with Pinocchio about the other newcomer benefit—Fragmented Magic.

"Fragmented Magic is a magical sigil that must be implanted in your heart. The ritual is random, and each person’s heart can only host one Fragmented Magic. The first implantation is free, but if you want to change it later, you'll have to buy another from the free market."

"You indeed can purchase 'magic' from the free shop, but each seal costs over two thousand survival points—affordable for few," Carmen noted wryly.

"However, the free shop does host some useful gear and special cards. You can explore and see for yourself. Pinocchio, open the free shop, please."

Following Carmen's request, the scene in the hall shifted as if fast-forwarded through various settings. They stood still as the surroundings morphed from a hospital ward into a factory workshop, an office, a garage, a large supermarket, a café, a restaurant, a library, and a warehouse, continuously transforming until finally settling into a large shop.

"Wow, this is possible?" Eric's mouth dropped open, while Alexander's expression twitched, both equally stunned.

"The origins of Evil Spirit Space are indeed mysterious and wondrous. What you see now is just a small facet," Carmen, a seasoned veteran, explained.

"This is the Free Shop. It offers a vast selection of items for you to choose from."

Rows of shelves automatically moved toward them, displaying various goods.

“Cursive Card: Universal Speech. – To prevent humanity from constructing a tower to heaven, God confounded their speech, scattering them across the earth. Before this, humanity spoke a universal language. This card grants knowledge of all known and unknown human languages.”

Alexander picked up a card labeled as a skill-type card, priced at 10 survival points.

"This is incredible. If it's true, it's like a universal translator."

Such a card seemed essential, and Alexander resolved to buy several, considering they would re-enter the script world in three months. These could prove invaluable.

Although proficient in English, linguistic barriers in countries with less common languages could pose serious challenges.

Apart from this card, he found many other types:

...Cursive Card: Dim Vision, granting some degree of night vision. Costs 20 survival points.

...Cursive Card: Basic Riding, instantly granting skills for various modes of transportation, modern included. Costs 20 survival points.

...Cursive Card: Enhanced Physique, increasing physical strength by 20% for 30 minutes, single-use. Costs 30 survival points.