Yun Xia and Liu Wenxuan had left. Before departing, they stored the delinquent's body using something resembling spatial storage equipment and assured Chen Luo they would handle the matter flawlessly.
Of course, they would also quietly compensate the delinquent's parents. While the delinquent himself was no saint, his parents were innocent.
Both Yun Xia and Liu Wenxuan had left gifts behind.
Yun Xia provided a book on the fundamentals of the hidden world, along with some basic cultivation manuals.
Liu Wenxuan, on the other hand, left far more. First was a spatial storage ring with ten cubic meters of space. Though useless to Chen Luo, he figured the Herrscher of Sentience might find it handy.
Next was a bow named Elven Bow, capable of drawing from the user's attributes to generate corresponding arrows. According to Liu Wenxuan, this weapon had exceptional synergy with wind attributes and was a 3-star weapon bordering on 4-star, meant to supplement Chen Luo's ranged combat capabilities.
Following that were various specialized arrows—so many that Chen Luo almost thought Liu Wenxuan was trying to turn him into Hawkeye.
And then there were all sorts of firearms...
Bro, do you really think your big brother—no, do you think I would use guns? I'm just an ordinary person!
But the truth was, Chen Luo could use them—with mastery, no less. Thanks to the Herrscher of Sentience's training, he had reached a level of proficiency where he could pick up and master almost anything.
Naturally, Liu Wenxuan had also included a firearms manual.
Which brought up the next question.
"What do you even want this Heart Demon Essence for? If you tell me absorbing it gives you no benefits, you're skipping dinner tonight." Chen Luo glared at the Herrscher of Sentience, who was lounging around snacking on spicy sticks without a care in the world.
Do you have any idea how much an Heart Demon Essence is worth?! The recycling price alone was 600 Primogems, meaning its original price was 1,200!
According to the talent panel, its value to humans maxed out at around 300 Primogems, but if sold, it could almost fund a 10-pull for Chen Luo.
He already had 685 Primogems. Adding 600 would bring him close to a 10-pull in just a few days.
And with a 10-pull, he was guaranteed at least one 4-star (purple) item.
"But then again… is the Herrscher of Sentience even considered a "psychic entity"?" Chen Luo recalled the Heart Demon Essence's description.
"I don't know if I count, but I can tell this thing is highly compatible with me." Senti shook her head.
"Sigh… I'm basically going bankrupt to upgrade you. You better not disappoint me. Can you reach SS-rank?" Chen Luo looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"Good guy,[1] you think this is a gacha game? Even if it were, reaching SS-rank would require pulling multiple Herrscher of Sentience!" She rolled her eyes.
"I'm not entirely sure what that Heart Demon Essence was, but my instincts told me it'd be useful. Now that I've absorbed it, I can feel changes in my body—though I can't pinpoint exactly what. But I know my abilities have strengthened, and my Herrscher Core isn't purely a 'Herrscher of Sentience Core' anymore."
"Wait, so your authority isn't 'pure' anymore? Is that good or bad?"
"Of course it's good! Think of it like this—if my power was originally just a stick, now it's grown branches, forming a skill tree. Plus, an 'impure' Herrscher authority will be extremely useful back in the Honkai world. You can't kill a god with the power they gave you… but if that power mutates? Who knows?" A cold smirk crossed her face.
"You mean… the Will of Honkai?"
You, a Herrscher created by the Will of Honkai, are seriously plotting to kill it?
If the Will of Honkai knew you'd turn out like this, it would've never made you even if it was beaten to death.
"Who knows?" She shrugged.
"Oh right, don't you have that talent panel? Just check if I've gained any new powers. Your talent's pricing is pretty reliable." The Herrscher of Sentience reminded
"I'm looking."
[Herrscher of Sentience Core · Modified] (Evolving) (Item): 5,400 Primogems (Original: 12,000)
"..."
Damn, her core got more expensive!
Though the discount had improved from 50% off to 55% off, the base price had increased by 400 Primogems.
"What's with that face?" Seeing Chen Luo's displeased expression, the Herrscher of Sentience grew nervous.
Did it not change? That can't be—I definitely felt something. At the very least, it tasted good.
"Well… your core has changed. It's evolving. But it's also pricier now, so I definitely can't afford it." Chen Luo sighed.
"Oh, I thought something happened, you scared me to death." She glared at him, though internally, she was relieved.
She knew how badly Chen Luo needed Primogems in the early stages. If she'd consumed such a valuable resource without any gains, she'd have felt horribly guilty.
Senti was stressed, but Little Senti wouldn't admit it.
When Chen Luo checked the family interface and saw her mood shift from [Anxious], [Uneasy], [Guilty]… to [Happy], he also breathed a sigh of relief.
After giving her the Heart Demon Essence, it seemed like some barrier had been broken—the Herrscher of Sentience's avatar now displayed mood tags.
Honestly, Chen Luo felt this trade was worth it. While he'd "lost" 1,000 Primogems, that amount wasn't critically urgent for him right now.
Aside from gacha pulls, he had no other major Primogem expenses.
Besides, the benefits the Herrscher of Sentience brought him far outweighed those 1,000 Primogems.
Not only did she herself issue commissions worth 600 Primogems, but what Chen Luo had gained from her was already invaluable:
[Swordsmanship Mastery]
[Cold Weapons Proficiency]
[Spear Technique]
[Close Combat Fundamentals]
[Fist Arts]
[Edge of Taixuan (Proficient)
And let's not forget the vastly expanded [Furniture Mastery] after her consciousness modifications…
Were these not worth 1,000 Primogems?
Plus, her item discount increasing to 55% off meant long-term Primogem savings.
Beyond Edge of Taixuan, Chen Luo also wanted [Close Combat Grandmaster], [Cold Weapons Grandmaster]…
When will her discount hit 90% off?
TL Notes:
[1]: Chinese expression that can mean, depending on the context, to express surprise, admiration, amazement, or exasperation, annoyance or anger.