Tasin spent a couple of hours digging through the city network forums and news archives, cross-referencing names and locations. The picture painted of Fang Hao was consistently bleak: orphaned young under unclear circumstances, living in a low-rent district, scraping by while supporting a younger brother disabled in an accident (details vague, naturally), possessing acknowledged 'Dim' talent despite reportedly diligent effort. And Jin Li, his childhood sweetheart, now openly accompanying the young master of the Chen family, a locally influential merchant clan.
"Poor family, dead parents, disabled sibling, trash talent, diligent nature, girlfriend betrayal, rich rival..." Tasin muttered the checklist aloud. "Fuck, it's so cliché it has to be the real deal. This Fang Hao is practically radiating protagonist energy." The miserable backstory only solidified his conviction. This kid was likely a major Luck source.
Satisfied with his preliminary findings, Tasin pushed thoughts of Fang Hao aside for the moment. First things first, he needed to improve himself. He settled onto his bed, crossed his legs, and began circulating energy according to the Nebula Heart Sutra. The difference was still astounding. Energy flowed into him like a river compared to the trickle he was used to, soothing his pathways and slowly, almost imperceptibly, strengthening his connection to the cosmic sea.
Time slipped by unnoticed as he immersed himself in cultivation. Only the chime from his internal system clock jarred him back to awareness. It was midnight.
[Ding! Daily Multiplication Charge +1 available.]
Tasin's eyes snapped open, a grin spreading across his face. Showtime.
He looked at the bag containing the fifty Low-Grade Cosmic Energy Crystals he'd bought earlier. "Iris, recycle these crystals."
[Affirmative. Recycling 50 x Low-Grade Cosmic Energy Crystal (Grade F). Standard Recycle Value: 1 Point per unit.]
[Ding! +50 Recycle Points obtained.]
His point balance updated. He had the 1000 from the Newbie Pack plus the 50 he just earned.
Recycle Points: 1050
"Okay, Iris, open the Mall. Show me everything I can afford with 1050 points."
The familiar interface appeared, listing various options:
[System Mall - Items Available (≤ 1050 Recycle Points)]
Grade B Cosmic Energy Crystal:
Description: A crystal containing a moderate amount of relatively pure cosmic energy (Approx. 100 units). Suitable for Tier 1 Core stage cultivators or powering intermediate devices.
Cost: 800 Points.
Strength Enhancement Serum (Grade C - Single Use):
Description: Temporarily boosts physical strength by approx. 30% for 10 minutes.
Cost: 750 Points.
Cleansing Pellet (Grade C):
Description: A pellet designed to expel minor impurities accumulated during early cultivation. Mildly improves energy flow.
Cost: 1000 Points.
C grade Space Ring (100 Cubic Meter):
Description: A standard entry-level spatial storage item with 100 cubic meter capacity.
Cost: 950 Points.
Minor Healing Salve (Grade B - x3):
Description: A basic salve that accelerates the healing of minor cuts and bruises. Three applications per purchase.
Cost: 500 Points (for 3)
Grade B+ Cosmic Energy Crystal:
Description: Superior to Grade B. Contains purer, denser cosmic energy (Approx. 120 units). More effective for cultivation breakthroughs within Tier 1.
Cost: 1000 Points.
Tasin scanned the list. The pouch was tempting for convenience, but power came first. The cleansing pellet was good, but talent was the priority. The Grade B+ crystal seemed the best value for its cost, offering the highest potential for amplification.
"Purchase one Grade B+ Cosmic Energy Crystal," Tasin ordered.
[Ding! Purchase successful. Grade B+ Cosmic Energy Crystal added to Storage.]
[Ding! 1000 Recycle Points deducted. Current Balance: 50 Points.]
Immediately, he commanded, "Iris! Use the daily charge! Amplify the quality of that Grade B+ Cosmic Energy Crystal by 100 times!"
[Acknowledged. Initiating x100 Quality Amplification on 'Grade B+ Cosmic Energy Crystal'. Consuming daily multiplication charge.]
He felt the familiar subtle drain from the system's energy reservoir. A mental image of the B+ crystal flared, warping and compressing under immense conceptual pressure.
[Ding! Quality Amplification complete!]
[You have obtained: SS-Grade Cosmic Crystal x1!]
[Item stored in Storage.]
Tasin eagerly retrieved the crystal from his system storage. It materialized in his palm – a palm-sized, flawless, diamond-like gem that pulsed with an inner light, shifting through iridescent colors. It felt heavy, dense, radiating an almost overwhelming amount of pure, potent cosmic energy. Just holding it made the energy within his body hum excitedly.
"Incredible..." he breathed. "If I absorbed this directly... I could probably blast straight through Channel and Core, maybe even touch Tier 2: Shape!"
But that wasn't the plan. Power gained too quickly without foundation was unstable. And more importantly, this crystal represented something else: Points.
"Iris, what's the recycle value of this SS-Grade Cosmic Crystal?"
[Calculating... SS-Grade Cosmic Crystal possesses exceptionally high purity and energy density, valued far above simple linear extrapolation from lower grades. Recycle Value: 120,000 Points. Confirm recycling?]
"One hundred and twenty thousand?" Tasin exclaimed. His quick mental math confirmed Iris's earlier hint. If he'd multiplied the B+ crystal by quantity x100, he'd have 100 B+ crystals. Recycling those might have netted around 100 * (roughly 1000 points each) = 100,000 points. Quality amplification was riskier (failure potential? Unknown side effects?), but the payout for success was significantly higher for top-tier results. "The rarer and higher the quality, the more disproportionately valuable it becomes... Got it."
"Yes! Confirm recycling!"
[Ding! SS-Grade Cosmic Crystal recycled. +120,000 Recycle Points obtained.]
His balance skyrocketed.
Recycle Points: 120,050
Tasin didn't hesitate. "Iris! Purchase the Standard Talent upgrade!"
[Ding! Purchase 'Standard Talent Upgrade' for 10,000 Recycle Points?]
"Yes!"
[Ding! Purchase successful. 10,000 Points deducted. Remaining: 110,050 Points.]
[Ding! Initiate Standard Talent integration?]
"Yes! Do it now!"
[Integration initiating...]
Suddenly, agony. It felt like every cell in his body was being ripped apart and forcibly rearranged. His bones seemed to grind, his muscles spasmed, and an invisible fire burned along his energy pathways, widening them, restructuring them. He collapsed onto the floor, gasping, sweat pouring down his face.
"Argh! Fuck! Warn a guy next time, you damn system!" he roared through clenched teeth.
[Pain is merely a signal, Host,] Iris's voice was maddeningly calm. [True strength requires the tempering of hardship. Consider this... foundational restructuring. Endure.]
The process lasted for what felt like an eternity but was probably only ten minutes. When it finally subsided, Tasin lay panting on the floor, trembling, feeling fundamentally... different. His perception of the ambient cosmic energy was clearer, stronger, like a fog had lifted.
Before he could fully recover, he grit his teeth. No time to waste. "Iris! Purchase the Bright Talent upgrade!"
[Ding! Purchase 'Bright Talent Upgrade' for 50,000 Recycle Points?]
"YES!"
[Ding! Purchase successful. 50,000 Points deducted. Remaining: 60,050 Points.]
[Ding! Initiate Bright Talent integration?]
"DO IT!" Tasin yelled, bracing himself.
[Integration initiating...]
If the first upgrade was agony, this was hell. The sensation intensified tenfold. It wasn't just restructuring now; it felt like his very soul was being forged on a cosmic anvil, hammered into a new shape. The pain overwhelmed his senses, his vision tunneling, consciousness fraying. His last coherent thought was a silent curse directed at Iris before blissful oblivion claimed him.
When Tasin next opened his eyes, bright sunlight streamed through his window, indicating it was well past noon. He was sprawled awkwardly on his bedroom floor, his body aching as if he'd been run over by an interstellar freighter. Every muscle protested as he slowly, painfully pushed himself up into a sitting position.
But underneath the aches, there was a new feeling. A lightness. A clarity. The world seemed sharper, the ambient energy practically singing to him, eager to be drawn in.
He had survived. And he was no longer Dim.
This is the finish of chapter