Alexander's heart chilled at the sight of the green cards, knowing they were not skill cards but special ones meant for use in the real world. The green spell cards were generally more powerful than their yellow counterparts, boasting strong abilities but confined to real-world application.
"Is this a deliberate design by the Evil Spirit Space? Perhaps they fear the power of these items might disrupt the difficulty of the script worlds..." he pondered. The fact that these green cards could be used in the real world gave him a worrying thought.
"Wow, this invisibility card can be used in real life. That's amazing," Eric exclaimed, astonished at his discovery.
"Is it necessary? This invisibility card costs just 100 points—cheap and efficient. With it, you can become invisible in the real world, do whatever you want, and no one will ever find you," Pinocchio's face appeared on a television suspended from the ceiling of the free shop. He chuckled, "Even if you get into trouble, we have cleansing cards to wipe away any record, allowing you to leave the police station easily."
"Alright, put it back," Carmen intervened, taking the card from Eric's hand.
"These green spell cards are very expensive, and our survival points are limited. Spending them here could make surviving the next script world much harder."
"Oh, I understand," Eric replied, putting the card back, his thoughts more innocent and straightforward.
"The money card could be useful—exchange some for it," Alexander suggested, supporting Carmen's practical idea.
Eric looked confused until Carmen elaborated. "Indeed, Eric, no one can ensure they survive every script world. It’s prudent to use money cards to prepare for your family..."
Eric paused for a moment, contemplating, before lowering his head in thought.
"Pinocchio, exchange the tape for points and give me four money cards," Alexander decided. Each money card cost 50 points for $100,000, totaling 200 points for $400,000 USD. Given the current exchange rate, that equaled roughly 2.47 million RMB, which would cover his needs.
...to prepare for the worst.
"No problem," Pinocchio promptly responded.
After choosing the four money cards, Alexander refrained from spending more on the green cards. Instead, he picked several "Universal Speech" cards, spent 30 points on an M1911 pistol and nearly a hundred rounds of ammunition, along with pain relief candy and some medical supplies, totaling another 200 points. Including the money cards, he spent a total of 400 points.
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"The items in the free shop are expensive. I need to save the rest for mana potions!" Mana potions were vital, each costing a hefty 180 points, but could become potent weapons with a strong fragmented magic.
With the tape exchanged, Alexander had 3,000 points. After spending 400, he had 2,600 left. He planned to give 1,000 points to Carmen and Eric, as they were core members of their team.
He would be left with 1,600 points himself, earmarking 540 for three mana potions, leaving a reserve of 1,060 points.
Looking at the array of tempting items, Alexander felt a pang of reluctance.
"Alexander, you still have my Evil Spirit Seed. Could you return it to me?" Carmen requested.
"Of course." Alexander had no intention of keeping a teammate's item.
Carmen took his two remaining Evil Spirit Seeds and immediately handed one to Eric.
"Use this to unlock your Evil Spirit Contract. It has many functions, including internal storage space for carrying items."
"Thank you," Eric replied gratefully.
"Alexander, the Evil Spirit Seeds have special uses. Once you've chosen your items, get ready to select your power system. To survive in this harsh world, we need to strengthen ourselves," Carmen advised. He then waved and vanished from the free shop, returning to the real world.
"Eric, it's our turn to make our choices," Alexander stood, resolutely prepared to choose the Sacrificial Blade.
...
His vision cleared, and Alexander found himself lying in a garbage pile, surrounded by bins in a dim alleyway.
His entire body ached—a result of the "sacrifice" and "modification" procedures he had undergone.
To obtain the Sacrificial Blade, Alexander had offered part of his body, much like Yulin, with his heart also being modified. He felt the mechanical rhythm of his heart, now transformed into a book brimming with gears, embodying a steampunk aesthetic.
Clutching his chest, Alexander recalled the nightmare-like ordeal. Dragged into a surgery room alone, he was restrained on the table by tall, shadowy figures whispering before they proceeded to dissect him.
Though he wasn't anesthetized, he felt no pain, as though some power had robbed him of sensation. The faceless, lanky shadows worked on his heart and body with brutal precision, ultimately extracting a piece of his anatomy and fully transforming his heart.
Despite gaining significant power, the experience was harrowing, akin to surviving a nightmare!
He wondered if Eric had faced similar misfortune or if choosing the Shadow Beast spared him such anguish.
Struggling up, Alexander felt an inexplicable pain in his chest that hadn’t been present during the surgery. It was only now returning.
Checking himself, he realized he wore the same clothes from before the accident—a reminder that none of this was a dream, confirmed by the Evil Spirit Contract on the back of his hand.
The sky had already darkened; his phone showed it was around ten at night.
"The time is still the same day. I vanished for about four hours," Alexander noted. He had disappeared during the accident on his way home. According to Carmen’s earlier briefings, upon returning to the real world, everything would be reset as if he had vanished from the crash site. No one would remember the incident.