After leaving the tavern and passing back through the gray membrane of light, Mo Wu returned to his safe house.
He collapsed onto the bed, trying to empty his mind, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the final conversation he had with Lin Dong.
"What happens if you don't die cleanly?"
"Your soul will be collected," Lin Dong had said. "Then you'll become an NPC in Paradise. Just like Modi and me."
He pointed at the bartender in the suit behind him before continuing.
"Modi failed his mission and died in a mission world. After his soul was collected, he became the bartender of the D-856 tavern."
"As for me—why do you think I answered your questions? I died in a mission world too. So now I serve as the beginner guide for the D-856 parallel line."
"How many years have I done this? I could refuse to answer that, but since I like you, I'll tell you. I've been a beginner guide for three hundred and twenty-five years."
"Paradise never lacks talent."
"What it lacks are NPCs like us."
"Do your best. Try not to die."
After saying that, Lin Dong left the tavern and stood quietly in front of the gray light membrane, waiting for the next newcomer.
He didn't move at all.
It was as if he had turned into a statue.
"But why is my class different from theirs?"
Staring at the patterns on the ceiling, Mo Wu muttered to himself.
His class—Dreamer—granted Dream Points after mission completion, and their practical use clearly surpassed the so-called Pioneer Points Lin Dong mentioned.
At least according to Lin Dong, Pioneer Points couldn't simply produce whatever you wanted. They were mainly used to strengthen one's abilities.
Meanwhile, Mo Wu could even exchange Dream Points for Paradise Points—the rare universal currency—at a ratio of one to ten.
And his mission format clearly resembled that of a Pioneer.
The first three worlds were probably solo instances.
But recalling the survival rate Lin Dong mentioned for Pioneers, Mo Wu nodded deeply.
If he hadn't discovered how to use his talent properly, he would have died to the very first demon he encountered.
I wonder what the next world will be.
And apparently, a world is only truly completed after finishing its final world mission.
"Kokushibo… just wait until I come back."
Mo Wu raised his Nichirin Blade before him and tightened his grip.
Time waits for no one.
He stood up, removed his shirt, and tossed the scabbard onto the bed.
His lungs compressed the air inside them as he began breathing deeply and sharply. As the breathing technique activated, he started swinging his blade.
Right now, he felt like he could blow apart a stone with nothing but his breath.
He glanced at the digital clock hanging on the wall above the bed.
333:58:13
Taking a deep breath, Mo Wu focused all his energy into every single strike.
From now until the next world begins…
Let's start with a small goal.
One hundred thousand swings.
After setting the target, Mo Wu drove his arm forward. The Nichirin Blade sliced through the air, producing a crisp humming sound as the blade flashed repeatedly.
Fifteen hours later…
The blade had become a blur.
It felt as though it had fused with Mo Wu's body.
He no longer needed to think about each strike. Every swing came out like a natural instinct. His breathing had grown heavy, but each breath fueled the next swing.
Then something forced him out of that state.
His stomach.
"Hungry… I'm starving!"
Have I gone three days without eating?
Feeling his stomach cramping from prolonged starvation, Mo Wu suddenly realized something.
He really hadn't eaten for a long time.
"Convert Paradise Points into Dream Points."
"Dream Points: 99"
With a dark expression, Mo Wu drew an X beside the result and silently cursed the system for being a profiteer.
After thinking for a moment, a bold idea appeared in his mind.
"Give me a bottle of food that satisfies my basic energy needs while maximizing improvements to my physical condition."
"Dream Points: 100"
"Exchange 5000 Paradise Points for five bottles of food that satisfy my basic energy needs while maximizing improvements to my physical condition."
"Dream Points: 99"
So this was the cost of using Paradise Points as Dream Points?
A service fee of one Dream Point for every fifty Paradise Points?
It seemed converting Dream Points into Paradise Points required no cost.
But converting Paradise Points into Dream Points for notebook usage required a fee.
Marking a check beside the line, Mo Wu soon saw five glass bottles filled with brown liquid appear before him out of thin air.
At the same time, the Paradise Points on his status panel dropped visibly to zero, while his Dream Points fell to one thousand.
So this is what it feels like to go broke overnight.
Mo Wu joked silently to himself.
Unable to resist his hunger any longer, he grabbed one of the cold bottles and twisted the cap open before quickly gulping it down.
Not bad.
It's pretty sweet.
He smacked his lips as the sugary taste lingered in his mouth.
But… why don't I feel anything?
Scratching his head, Mo Wu frowned.
Wasn't it supposed to maximize—
Burp!
A powerful wave of fullness burst from his stomach.
Mo Wu let out a loud belch.
Immediately afterward, a violent burning sensation spread through his body, forcing him to curse aloud.
"Damn!"
It felt as though every muscle in his body was being hammered by scorching metal.
The blood flowing through his veins no longer felt warm.
It felt like molten lava.
My body is going to explode!
Why the hell isn't there an instruction manual?!
Grabbing his Nichirin Blade with trembling hands, Mo Wu immediately entered a combat stance.
He began swinging his blade in place while circulating Sun Breathing to refine and digest the violent medicinal power surging through him.
Twelve hours later…
"9996… 9997… 9998… 9999!"
"10000!"
Only after the ten-thousandth strike did the abnormal redness of Mo Wu's skin finally fade back to normal.
"Haa…"
His entire body was drenched in sweat.
Fortunately, he had taken off his shirt earlier. Otherwise, he would probably have had to spend another point just to buy new clothes.
Turning toward the bathroom inside the room, Mo Wu opened the faucet and began drinking directly from it.
Yes—drinking.
The bathroom was another discovery he had just made.
Whenever he focused his thoughts, an entrance would appear on the wall. Passing through a narrow corridor behind it would lead to various facilities.
"Ahh, refreshing!"
Drinking mouthful after mouthful from the faucet, Mo Wu felt incredibly satisfied.
The water was as pure as mountain spring water, completely free of impurities.
Its taste was entirely different from the bottled water or tap water he drank in his previous life. It was crisp and natural.
After drinking it, not only did his thirst vanish, but his mind felt clearer as if every cell in his body had been awakened.
"As expected of a godlike space. Even the tap water here is top quality."
Licking the corner of his lips, Mo Wu felt the cool water washing away the burning heat inside his lungs.
Stretching lazily, he finally felt some relief.
The mental pressure of the past three days had left him utterly exhausted.
Looking around the spacious and brightly lit bathroom, Mo Wu's eyes gleamed.
He had been waiting to do this for a long time.
"First, let's take a proper shower."
Unlock 100+ advance chapters on P@treon — every follow inspires me to keep going!
patreon.com/legacyverse1