When it came to going outside to deal with the snakes…
Lan Jin thought the others would wait a while longer before daring to collect them. But the moment news came that the entire swarm had been wiped out, a group of people from the rear rushed straight to the entrance.
They were fully wrapped in protective suits, not a patch of skin exposed. No one used their hands directly. Each carried a special tool that looked like a flat shovel, scooping the snakes neatly into bags.
The mutated rabbits from earlier had already earned plenty of contribution points, and these snakes—especially ones with crystal cores—were worth even more.
Brother Zhang said to them, "There are too many mutated snakes. The way we calculate their worth depends on the body part, so you could head back to your dorm for a rest, or go exchange your supplies first. I'll take you upstairs later for a look around. By the time we come back down, this area should be almost cleared."
If they hadn't absorbed the energy from those two crystal cores earlier, they probably wouldn't have the stamina to keep going. But after absorbing them, they felt no different from when they hadn't used their abilities at all. More importantly, they still knew far too little about abilities, so chatting more with Brother Zhang seemed like the perfect chance to learn.
Lao Gao quickly said, "We're fine, not tired. How about we exchange our contribution points first, then go upstairs? If we see something useful, we can buy it right away."
Brother Zhang nodded. "Alright, then go now before the snakes are hauled away."
The five of them went over to the supply exchange counter.
Lao Gao was the first to unpack his things. He opened a full backpack stuffed with canned meat, ham, and small biscuits. The sight nearly blinded the staff member, who stammered, "Is… is all this for exchange?"
Piece by piece, Lao Gao set the items on the counter. "Yes. All of it."
The canned meat in his bag was the priciest item, but it also took up the most space. In the end, the whole bag was worth 320 contribution points.
Ling Jiang's bag was about the same as Lao Gao's, coming to 297 points.
Huang Jinghe and Lan Jin, however, had been smarter. Neither packed canned meat. Instead, their backpacks were crammed with hundreds of sausages, along with chocolate biscuits. Both of them managed to exchange nearly 500 contribution points each.
Lao Gao stared at the results, dumbfounded. "Wait, the difference is that big?"
Lan Jin explained, "Sausage takes less space." Its price was already high, so the total naturally came out better. Still, the difference wasn't massive—if she'd brought canned meat instead next time, it would take more space and still not trade for much.
While Lao Gao was still regretting his choice, they followed Brother Zhang upstairs to the twelfth floor, the building's top level, where the supplies were sold.
No one else joined them in the elevator, so they reached the floor directly.
Right at the exit stood a temperature scanner. If your temperature was normal, you could pass.
Then came a security check. Staff inspected every bag and person, making sure no dangerous items were carried in.
Lan Jin found the definition of "dangerous items" a bit strange. Brother Zhang had a pistol at his waist, but the staff just glanced at it and didn't do anything.
Even after passing security, it wasn't over. There was another locked door that required an internal staff member to swipe in. Brother Zhang did so, then led them to the supply area.
And even then, before they could enter, each of them had to swipe their own card again.
It was hurdle after hurdle, enough to make coming here a real chore.
Once they were all inside, Brother Zhang smiled. "Troublesome, right? But it's too dangerous here. This is the only way to keep everyone safe."
Lan Jin asked the question that had been bothering her.
Brother Zhang explained, "Strictly speaking, these things aren't illegal right now—especially if they're bought inside the base. But that doesn't mean you can use them freely without consequences. If someone injures or kills another person here and gets caught, the punishment will be much harsher than before. Even if they're not caught, they'll be expelled from all official bases forever, no entry for life. The consequences are serious. You can buy them if you want, but you'll have to accept the risks yourself."
Ling Jiang was curious. "Then what exactly were they checking for at security? I didn't see them checking weapons."
"They're checking for plants," Brother Zhang said. "We're on a mountain, so animals aren't the only danger. Plants can be just as deadly. Sometimes it's just a tiny seed, sometimes it's invisible. But once such a plant absorbs crystal core energy, the results can be disastrous."
From the way he spoke, it wasn't hard to guess that something like that had already happened before.
Since they weren't long-term residents here, there was no need to pry too deeply.
…
Once the questions were done, it was time to choose weapons.
Compared to less secure bases, the selection here was much larger.
Lao Gao glanced at Brother Zhang. "There are so many weapons here. We've never seen this many at the J city base. Can we really buy all of these?"
"Yes. As long as you have enough contribution points," Brother Zhang replied. Then he pointed to a ring in the display case. "This one is perfect for thunder-type ability users. The price is high, but if you're interested, I can explain."
The moment she heard "thunder-type ability," Lan Jin stepped closer to look. At first glance, she hadn't really noticed the ring itself—her eyes went straight to the price tag. Fifty thousand contribution points for a single ring. That wasn't just high; it was outrageously high.
"You sure that's not a mistake?" Lan Jin asked. Still, it wasn't like she couldn't afford it. "Tell me how it works first. I'll decide after that."
The ring looked like a plain platinum band, thicker and wider than most jewelry. At its center was a dull purple gemstone, lacking any real shine. All in all, it looked very ordinary, making the price seem even more unreasonable.
But Brother Zhang explained, "This is a tier-one weapon. The purple gem is called a Violet Condensing Crystal, attuned to thunder abilities. Its plain look is just a trick. When you use your thunder power, the ring can form a lightning whip that extends with the strength you channel—up to 2.2 meters at most.
"The whip is fully charged with electricity, with powerful killing force. It can also shift forms—bend and twist freely, or turn into a sword, stabbing into the body of a person or an animal while delivering an electric shock. It's a lethal weapon. When we first acquired it, it didn't have a name, so the researchers called it the Violetbane Ring."