"That has to be a nano-suit, right? Some kind of nano-tech gear that can morph into any shape?"
Yun Shen stared at the forty-meter-long giant blade, silently muttering in his heart: *Refresh!*
But nothing happened. Just as confusion set in, Jiang Lan explained.
"No, I can use mana—well, spiritual energy—through my nano-core to manufacture nano-bots. I then command them to assemble into whatever form I desire. It's a kind of energy-creation ability, but it can't last forever."
As she spoke, a silver-gray armor swiftly encased her body. The transformation looked so dazzling it could've been pulled straight out of a sci-fi blockbuster.
"This is what a true nano-suit looks like. It's already fused with my body. Even if it's damaged in battle, I can repair it with psionic energy."
Yun Shen finally understood. That colossal forty-meter blade wasn't equipment at all—just a manifestation of her power. No wonder it couldn't be refreshed.
"Refresh!"
This time, one gray and two green orbs appeared. Yun Shen didn't even bother to glance at them.
Even if it had been an orange epic entry, he wouldn't have blindly confirmed it without weighing the benefits first. The reason was simple: Jiang Lan was already plenty powerful. By what he'd seen, her stats were more than enough for her to stroll leisurely through the newbie village without any danger.
"Jiang Lan, can I take a look at your other two pieces of equipment?"
Opening her personal panel, Yun Shen discovered he couldn't refresh the entries on her other gear. That confirmed his theory—entries could only be refreshed for things visible or tangible.
Her brows furrowed slightly, a hint of apology in her voice. "I'm sorry, my lord. My other two pieces of gear are bound to my body. They can't be separated."
"Your hero Jiang Lan suspects you covet her equipment. Favorability –1. Current Favorability: 83."
Yun Shen: … Really? Her favorability drops that fast? Is she *that* sensitive?
*Cough cough.* "No worries. I just wanted to see if I could help modify them." He quickly clarified, not wanting the misunderstanding to deepen.
"Modify?" Jiang Lan tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. "Has my lord achieved something in scientific research?"
Yun Shen shook his head. "Not research—this is one of my abilities."
To make his point, he pulled out his axe again. "Refresh."
A white, a blue, and a purple glow floated up.
"Sharpness (White): Increases sharpness by 10%."
"Edge (Blue): Increases cutting power by 50%. Item quality upgraded to Green (Rare)."
"Bleed (Purple): Adds Bleed effect. Item quality upgraded to Blue (Rare)."
"As you can see," Yun Shen explained, "entries of the same name can still vary in quality."
The axe in his hands glowed purple, transforming before their eyes. Its once plain wooden handle darkened into a blood-red hue, the axe head refined and etched with crimson streaks.
**Bloodstained Hatchet**
* **Type:** Equipment
* **Quality:** Blue (Rare)
* **Stats:** Constitution +5
* **Trait:** Bleed (Purple)
* **Requirement:** Level 1, Load 1
* **Entry:** Bleed (Purple) (1/1)
"Bleed (Purple): Causes wounds to resist healing and accelerates blood loss."
Yun Shen studied it, mildly disappointed. *The base material is too weak. Even with a purple trait, it only pushed the item up to blue quality.*
Still, in early stages, a blue item with a purple trait was nothing short of a top-tier weapon. If word got out, other new lords would go mad with envy.
More importantly, he realized: granting entries didn't just alter stats—it changed the item's very material, reshaping its essence.
Jiang Lan's eyes brightened. She recalled the passive skill she'd suddenly gained earlier. Perhaps following this lord truly could lead her to new heights—scientific achievements beyond her imagination.
And then she remembered her earlier "misunderstanding," a twinge of guilt rising in her chest.
"Your hero Jiang Lan feels ashamed yet hopeful about the future. Favorability +7. Current Favorability: 90."
Yun Shen let out a breath of relief. His first hero's favorability had climbed to 90 this quickly. Was this the so-called "Child of Destiny" blessing?
The ancients said that those with immense fortune naturally drew heroes to their side. Like Zhu Yuanzhang, whose rebellion gathered a host of brilliant generals and strategists—Xu Da, Tang He, the famed 24 Lords of Huai, Liu Bowen, Li Shanchang…
Perhaps he was cut from the same cloth.
"It's fine if you can't share the other equipment," Yun Shen said. "Maybe later I can help strengthen your nano-suit instead."
"Then I'll thank my lord in advance."
"No need for thanks. We're on the same side. Now, you can leave the lumber to me. Go clear the monsters around the territory."
With a 24-hour newbie protection barrier, no outsider could enter. Otherwise, Yun Shen would never dare let her stray too far.
"Understood."
True to her nature, Jiang Lan said nothing more. She simply turned and departed, sword in hand.
Yun Shen watched her vanish into the treeline, then turned back to his wooden palisade blueprint. After a moment's thought, he decided against refreshing it. If it upgraded to a higher blueprint requiring rare materials he didn't have… that would be a disaster.
So he quietly gathered the lumber and stowed it into his **Lord's Backpack**—a starter bag with ten slots. Each slot could hold up to 100 units of wood.
"Construct!"
The blueprint dissolved into light as his resources drained.
"You have consumed Wood (Common) ×300 and Source Crystals ×100 to construct Wooden Palisade (Common)."
"Construction Time: 2:59:59 (Spend 100 Source Crystals to complete instantly)."
He wasn't in a hurry. Pulling out a talisman, he tried his luck again.
"Refresh."
This time, two grays and one white.
Yun Shen silently put it away. *Worthless. I'll try again tomorrow.*
With nothing else pressing, he opened the **Chat Channel**—the world's equivalent of a public server, but currently limited to **Village Channel**, connecting all lords of Newbie Village #5201314.
Young men and women flooded the feed with excitement, some even posting pictures of their summons.
"Hahaha! I've been waiting sixteen years for this! Check out my newly recruited hero and troops—both rare quality! [Image]"
"Whoa, Goblin Hero? And troop-type too! You think same-race heroes and troops get synergy bonuses?"
"So jealous! I only pulled an Excellent Hero and an S-rank unit…"
Xu Xiaojiang: "Tch. And you call that bragging? Look at mine! [Image]"
"Wait, is that… a Superior Hero and S-rank squad?"
Xu Xiaojiang: "Correct! Behold my minotaur squadron!"
"Insane! Boss, take me as your little brother!"
"666! Big bro, do you need followers?"
Flattery poured in. Yun Shen just shook his head. *Youthful arrogance. Showing off like this only exposes your hand too early.*
*Hold on… Xu Xiaojiang? Why does that name sound so familiar?*
As he pondered, the ground suddenly quaked.
From the forest ahead, a blinding sphere of light rose—like a newborn sun. Yun Shen squinted against the glare, unable to make out the details.
Then came the deafening boom.
A mushroom cloud bloomed.
Notifications flooded his panel:
"Your hero Jiang Lan has slain a Goblin. Loot acquired: Wooden Club (Common) ×1, Source Crystal ×40, Soul Crystal ×5."
"Your hero Jiang Lan has slain a Goblin. Loot acquired: Wooden Club (Common) ×1, Source Crystal ×50, Soul Crystal ×10."
"Your hero Jiang Lan has destroyed a Goblin Nest (Common). Rewards acquired: Goblin Nest Blueprint (Common) ×1, Source Crystals ×1250, Soul Crystals ×125."
Lines upon lines of notifications scrolled endlessly.
Yun Shen froze, lips twitching.
*So one of her skills is called… Nuclear Fission Sword Qi…*
"I just told you to clear a few monsters. This… this really wasn't necessary…"