With another ding, a series of notifications popped up before Luo Shu's eyes.
[Congratulations, host, on obtaining the Elite Rank artefact 'Demon Heart' - 5,000 points awarded, with a monthly fixed income increase of 500 points.]
[Congratulations, host, on obtaining the Hero Rank artefact 'Lucky Wallet' - 8,000 points awarded, with a monthly fixed income increase of 800 points.]
[Current host total points: 27,983. Monthly fixed income: 2,300 points.]
"Savings are nearly 28,000 with a monthly income of 2,300 points? That's at least somewhat profitable."
Although it was a shame he couldn't sell the artefacts, careful calculation showed that the long-term income from holding Abyss Artefacts was more profitable than selling them outright.
With that thought, Luo Shu's regret diminished considerably.
"Since I've earned this much, it's only natural to spend a little, though there's no rush for now."
Luo Shu then accessed the internal network of the 'Astronomy Club' through the system.
Who knew what the system had referenced, but the interface looked just like the QQ messenger from his past life.
Though the system claimed the internal network was secure, free, and immune to eavesdropping, the familiar interface made Luo Shu both worry about his wallet and feel a twinge of nostalgia.
"Let me see if Eriri and Utaha are online."
Since it was an internal network and all users were members of his Familia, their sleep status was visible from their profile icons.
Coloured meant online, greyscale meant offline, busy was coloured with an exclamation mark, and danger status was either coloured or greyscale with a skull—more effective than surveillance.
Yet, as luck would have it, Luo Shu now only saw greyscale icons.
"What the hell? Eriri, a doujin artist who usually burns the midnight oil, and Utaha Kasumigaoka, a struggling writer who revises drafts till dawn, both went to bed early?"
"You're not usually this diligent, are you?"
Remembering how Utaha Kasumigaoka had kept him awake chatting until 3 AM just the day before, Luo Shu now felt a headache coming on.
'You wouldn't let me sleep when I was there, but the moment I leave, you turn in early? Really, Utaha...'
"Fine. I wanted to discuss SDS with them and mention inviting Miss Mira to the group. Now I'll just have to act first and inform them later."
Indeed, Luo Shu's reason for contacting his so-called 'brilliant strategists' was to prepare for recruitment and briefing.
Since he'd unexpectedly joined an official organisation, it was only right to ensure his Familia understood the world's true nature.
Moreover, for someone like Mira Tsubakihara—a heroine with deep connections and a friendly attitude towards him—Luo Shu naturally wanted to bring her into the fold.
Mentioning it to his existing Familia was to maintain harmony and stability within the group.
After all, he had to at least appear democratic and fair. Even the shameless Americans preached democracy and freedom—Luo Shu was no exception.
Unfortunately, for some reason tonight, both night owls had unusually turned in early.
'Could it be because I told Utaha Kasumigaoka yesterday that early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy? Since when was she so obedient?'
Luo Shu grumbled inwardly before sighing and opening the system.
"System, list the upgrade conditions for 'Intuition' and 'Combat Potential.'"
[Hyper Intuition: Superior skill of Intuition, Excellent Rank.]
[Upgrade requirements: Main material: Brain of a Spiritual Squid (10,000 points), Supplementary materials: None.]
[Subconscious Manipulation: Superior skill of Combat Potential, Excellent Rank.]
[Upgrade requirements: Main material: Spinal Cord of a Mind Dragon (10,000 points), Supplementary materials: None.]
Looking at these two skills, Luo Shu straightened up from the sofa, remained silent for a moment, then went to the kitchen to fetch two glass tumblers.
Placing the glasses on the low glass table, Luo Shu sat back down and took a deep breath:
"If it weren't for the combination of Intuition and Combat Potential today, I might have been done for by that Demon Hunter's 'Hound.' From this, it's clear how crucial support skills are... In that case, there's no need to hoard those 50,000 points for Wind Element Manipulation. I should prioritise improving the abilities I can enhance right now."
Luo Shu reasoned aloud, as if to steel himself in case the materials turned out to be as unpalatable as a Devil Fruit, making him hesitate to consume them.
After a pause of four or five seconds, he exchanged points for the Brain of the Psychic Squid and the Spinal Cord of the Mind Dragon.
The next instant, a brownish, brain-like mass and a milky-white, ice-cream-like viscous substance appeared in their respective glasses.
These were the 'Brain of the Psychic Squid' and the 'Spinal Cord of the Mind Dragon.'
Luo Shu examined the two advanced materials, then internally queried the system about the method of consumption, receiving confirmation that simultaneous ingestion posed no issue.
Seeing this, Luo Shu glanced at the two materials before him—still somewhat edible-looking—hesitated briefly, then fetched some hot water to pour into the glasses.
"Down the hatch..."
Muttering under his breath, Luo Shu picked up one glass and gulped it down in one go, then immediately did the same with the second.
A sticky, slippery sensation surged up his throat, but unwilling to spit it out, he forced himself to swallow.
Burp!
Amidst the indelicate sound of satiety, Luo Shu's vision blurred as if he were seeing a branching, infinite tree slowly stretching and spreading before him, reaching into the endless void.
His ears rang with a high-pitched hum, his body temperature spiked past 40 degrees in moments, and his skin flushed a vivid red.
Yet, bizarrely, despite these changes, Luo Shu felt little discomfort—instead, an odd sense of relaxation washed over him.
As that sensation gradually faded, Luo Shu reopened his eyes, squinting reflexively at the sudden brightness.
Sunlight streamed through the now glassless window, directly illuminating the sofa.
"Morning already?"
Blinking at the warm sunlight spilling in, Luo Shu fumbled around and retrieved his phone.
7:00 a.m.
Falling silent at this, his expression turned pensive as a thought struck him:
"Did my abilities actually upgrade?"
[Answer: Intuition has advanced to 'Hyper Intuition.' Combat Potential has advanced to 'Subconscious Manipulation.' As the host has acquired three Excellent Rank abilities, Authority evaluation has automatically risen to 'Excellent.']
Hearing the system's response, Luo Shu sighed.
"So it takes three abilities to reach the next tier? But aside from feeling unusually energised, I don't notice much else."
As the words left his mouth, Luo Shu suddenly glimpsed Mira Tsubakihara seemingly standing outside his door, her hand repeatedly lifting as if to knock before lowering again.
Noticing this, Luo Shu paused, then rose and walked through the living room to open the front door.
"Eh?"
Mira Tsubakihara, who had just arrived, froze mid-motion, her hand still raised, as the door swung open on its own to reveal Luo Shu's face.
The sudden scene left Mira Tsubakihara momentarily stunned.
At that moment, Luo Shu flashed a smile at the dazed-looking Mira standing at the doorway:
"Good morning, Miss Mira."
'System, I take back what I said earlier. This near-future sight ability truly deserves its Excellent Rank.'