The next morning was a painful reckoning. Yuan Lin woke up feeling like every muscle in his body had fought a war and lost. Old Man Chen's magical ointment had taken away the sharp pain, but it left behind a deep exhaustion, a feeling that his body had been used in a way it was not designed for.
"Okay, no more forced enhancements," he muttered as he dragged himself from the bed to the kitchen. "That's not worth it."
He glanced at the small wooden box on his table and thought of the old man. Chen's offer of help was tempting, the idea of having a real teacher to guide him. But another part of Yuan Lin, a new and arrogant part born from the womb of easy power, rejected the idea.
"Why should I learn from him?" he thought sarcastically as he prepared his coffee. "He probably spent fifty years learning to control his 'internal force.' I have a cosmic system that sells power wholesale. He uses traditional methods; I'm using the latest 'cheat code' in the universe. I'll go to him when I'm stronger than he is, to ask about his world's history as an expert, not as a student."
It was this decision, full of arrogance, that set the course for his day. He called work and, in a feigned sick voice, told them he had a high fever. He had earned a day of freedom. A day he would dedicate entirely to one thing: shopping.
After finishing his coffee, he sat on his living room floor, closed his eyes, and summoned the mental interface. He ignored everything else and went straight to the tab he had been avoiding.
[The Store]
It wasn't just a list. It was a lavish, ghostly catalog, divided into categories that glowed with different colors.
[Legendary Weapons]:
Star-Eater Blade: A black sword that absorbs light, said to be capable of slicing through a black hole. Price: 8,000,000 Chaos Points + 1 Nebula Heart.
Celestial Punishment Spear: A golden spear capable of summoning lightning. Price: 5,500,000 Chaos Points.
Yuan Lin felt dizzy just reading the prices.
[Elixirs and Pills]:
Thousand-Year-Old Dragon Soul Pill`: Brings the dead back to life (one-time use, may return with minor side effects like a love for fire or developing scales). Price: 750,000 Chaos Points.
Lin laughed. Even death had a hefty price tag here.
[Bargain Bin (For Beginners and the Wretched)]:
[Slightly Cursed Goblin Soldier's Dagger: Reasonably sharp, but sometimes makes you crave dirt. *Price: 5 Chaos Points]
[Minor Courage Amulet (Single Use): Gives you the courage to confront an angry cat. Warning: May cause a rash. Price: 10 Chaos Points.]
He browsed, laughing, until he reached the section he was really looking for.
[Cultivation Techniques]:
Here, the names were more serious. He searched for something suitable for him, something that didn't require his body to be like Superman's. He found what he was looking for.
[Gray Chaos Scripture - Foundation Volume]: A basic cultivation technique specifically designed to absorb and cultivate primordial chaos energy. Stable, albeit slow. Builds an unparalleled foundation for future chaos paths.
It was perfect. It was designed for him. He looked at the price.
Price: 150 Chaos Points.
He looked at his balance. 125 points. He was 25 points short. He groaned in frustration.
How could he earn 25 points quickly and safely from his apartment? He couldn't go out and look for another gang to fight, especially not in his current state. Then he remembered. He had earned the most points by... deception.
He opened the [Group] chat with a sly smile. Treasurer "Mo" was active.
[Lord of Eternal Chaos]: @Grand Treasurer "Mo Your report on the Dark Web Trojan Horse was... adequate. But the scrying methods you used were primitive. True analysis requires precision and art"
The reply came instantly, as if Mo had been waiting at his screen, trembling.
[Grand Treasurer Mo]:" Sire! Forgive my ignorance! Please, enlighten your humble servant!"
[Lord of Eternal Chaos]:The "Trojan" feeds on chaotic data streams. To track it, you must first create a "bait." A beacon of pure, concentrated data to attract its attention. I have just created such a bait in my world. Observe its effect well.
What was this "bait"? It was Yuan Lin turning on his super-fast computer and initiating a massive 2-terabyte file transfer from one hard drive to another. The transfer screen was progressing rapidly, the numbers changing like crazy. In his world, this was just a boring maintenance task. In their world, this was a cosmic experiment being conducted by their Supreme Lord.
A blue system notification appeared immediately.
[A new faction quest has been generated: "Observing the Lord's Data Bait." You have been rewarded for maintaining the Lord's prestige and providing strategic guidance. +30 Chaos Points.]
[Current Balance: 155 Chaos Points.]
Yuan Lin grinned broadly. "Too easy"
He returned to the store without hesitation and purchased the [Gray Chaos Scripture]
There was no pain this time. Instead, he felt as if a dam had broken in his mind. A massive amount of information flooded his brain—not just words, but images, diagrams of energy pathways in the human body, meditation techniques, complex theories on the nature of chaos. It was like having an entire library downloaded directly into his soul.
When the flow stopped, he was panting, but he felt euphoric.
He sat on the floor, instinctively crossing his legs. The first page of the scripture appeared before him in the mental interface. The instructions were deceptively simple.
[Stage One: Sensing Chaos. Sit in silence for one hour. Focus on a single thread of energy around you. Only observe it. Do not interact with it. Do not judge it. Just... watch it.]
He looked at the instructions and thought again of Old Man Chen and his slow Tai Chi practice. Maybe this was what he was doing.
"He probably spent decades learning how to sense his 'internal force,'"*Yuan Lin thought with an arrogant smile. "And I... I just bought the user manual from a demonic app store."
He closed his eyes and began the first real cultivation session of his life. He didn't need a teacher. He had the most powerful cheat in the universe.
And he didn't realize that the fastest paths are often the most dangerous.