The system beeped again.
[Item Manifested: Common Utility Pack]
[Contents: 500 Credits, Basic Inventory Token, Portable Storage]
Lin Xuan's blinked as his desk shimmered—and a worn-out leather pouch popped into reality. He reached out, touched it.
Real. Solid. Heavy.
"Holy sh*t," he muttered, voice shaking. He opened the pouch.
Inside sat five shimmering gold coins. Each had that otherworldly glow like items in MMORPGs—unnaturally polished, unnervingly perfect.
He picked one up.
It was warm.And just below it: a black poker chip with glowing blue runes.
[Inventory Token: Unlocks 10-slot carry dimension]
"Wait—this is real. This is happening."
He was done questioning it.
Lin Xuan's didn't waste a second. He grabbed the coin pouch, the token, the storage bag—and bolted out of his apartment.
Next Stop: The Pawnshop.
At 10:43 AM, Lin Xuan walked into one of the shadiest pawnshops in the district. He chose it on purpose—somewhere nobody would ask questions.
The guy behind the counter looked up, bored. "Yeah?"
Lin Xuan placed a single coin on the counter.
The man's eyes widened. He picked it up, inspected it, even bit it.
Solid.
"Where'd you get this?"
"I inherited it," Lin Xuan said flatly.
The man hesitated… then pulled out a scale, weighed it. His eyebrows shot up.
"This isn't gold—it's something better. You want cash?"
"How much?"
"…Five thousand."
Lin Xuan leaned in. "Each?"
The man swallowed. "How many do you have?"
Lin Xuan smirked. "Ten."
That day, he walked out with 50,000 cash—in neat, crisp bundles. And he had four more coins left.
System Notification:
[Currency Conversion Detected]
[Trait Unlocked: Passive Barter Aura - You get better deals with NPCs & Vendors]
Lin Xuan froze mid-step.
The system… was adapting to reality.
And apparently—it treated real people as NPCs.He almost laughed.
Back Home.
The room looked smaller now, less like a sanctuary, more like a base of operations. Lin Xuan opened the Portable Storage—ten glowing item slots appeared mid-air, holographic and floating like a sci-fi UI.
He tapped the token—slots shimmered, labeled themselves:
[Weapon Slot 1: Empty]
[Potion Slot: Empty]
[Currency: 4/10]
[New Quest Unlocked]
"Equip Your First Weapon – Rewards: +STR, +AGI, +New Dungeon Key"
He clicked "Accept" without hesitation.
Seconds later, the room glitched. A new item dropped out of nowhere and landed with a clang beside his feet.
A sleek, black-bladed katana wrapped in ancient red cloth.
[Loot Acquired: Cursed Blade – Yatsume]
Type: One-handed Sword
STR +8 / AGI +4
Special Effect: Fear Aura (Lv.1)
Description: A weapon once sealed by a forgotten guild. Draws fear from those unworthy to wield it.
Lin Xuan reached for the blade.
The moment his fingers touched the hilt, the air around him shivered—like gravity warped just for him.
The system dinged.
[Weapon Equipped. You have completed your first Equipment Quest.]
[Rewards Granted: +2 STR, +1 AGI, New Dungeon Key – "Urban Rift: Subway Gate"]
He stood there, katana in hand, breathing in slow.He didn't know what was happening, not really.
But he knew one thing:
He wasn't going back.
Not to being broke. Not to being forgotten. Not to being weak.
[Warning: Other Manifestors Detected Nearby.]
Lin Xuan eyes narrowed.
"Oh? So I'm not the only one."
He tightened his grip on the blade.
Then bring it on.