Chapter 1 The Transaction

For the transaction that had just occurred, Fang Senyan had gained an advantage, but it wasn't a huge one. A light blue scroll plus a useless nameplate traded for a dark blue scroll plus general points plus food sounded like a great deal, but in reality, it wasn't quite like that.

For contractors just entering the world, using ranged weapons was clearly more advantageous than close combat. Contractors who mainly engaged in close combat faced greater risks, as could be seen from the unfortunate demise of Contractor No. 1844. Therefore, those who survived the first few Nightmare Worlds were mostly ranged attackers! The size of the consumer group naturally determined the value of the scroll itself. This was the fundamental reason why, when Legend was all the rage and some creature called Chun Ge swept across the land, a Level 35 skill book like Summon Divine Beast sold for two or three thousand RMB, while Ice Roar was only a hundred or so.

After completing the transaction, Fang Senyan packed up his stall and went straight to a man a hundred meters away to buy a basic melee scroll, spending 2,400 general points. This was finally a few hundred general points cheaper than learning it directly in the space through the Nightmare Mark. He had been born with Basic Footwork and Basic Stamina upon entering the Nightmare World. Therefore, after learning this basic melee, he met the learning requirements for this advanced ability and naturally spent his only potential point to learn this dark blue scroll.

Although this exchange wasn't exactly what Fang Senyan had initially wanted, it was still pretty good to learn a new basic melee and a top-tier advanced grappling skill, which could be described as both offensive and defensive. However, Fang Senyan still couldn't figure out why that gold-cased pocket watch was so sought after, but he didn't care. Anyway, it was in his hands, and he could study it slowly. After spending a potential point to learn the ability, Fang Senyan also received a series of prompts:

All ability upgrades were divided into stages of three levels. For example, upgrading basic abilities from Level 1 to Level 3 only required 1 potential point and some general points. From Level 3 to Level 6, each level up required 2 potential points and more general points. Above Level 6, each level up required 3 potential points and a large number of general points. And this was just for basic abilities. He believed that upgrading higher-level abilities would consume even more potential points and general points.

For example, raising a basic ability from Level 1 to Level 10 required 1x3+2x3+3x3+4=22 points! If it were a higher-level combat ability, then even more potential points would be consumed! Each time a mission was completed, 1 to 5 potential points would be awarded depending on the difficulty and mission rating.

Attached Hamburger attributes:

"Hamburger" (Condition: Very Good)

"Origin: Dex No. 31 Branch, Shanghai, China"

"Rarity: White"

"Category: Ordinary Food"

"Usage Requirements: Best used in a non-combat state (moving, being attacked, or attacking others while eating will interrupt the recovery effect)"

Usage Effect: Restores 60 points of your health within twenty seconds.

"Description: Eat it."

After getting all of this settled, Fang Senyan returned to his exclusive room. Because of the Nightmare Mark's navigation, he didn't get lost. He immediately felt exhausted after returning here, so he collapsed on the floor of the room and fell asleep. The floor wasn't hard, as if it were made of organic material, and the indoor temperature seemed to be automatically adjusted to a comfortable level, so there were no problems such as coldness when sleeping.

When Fang Senyan woke up, he felt refreshed. He spent general points to directly buy food from the Nightmare Space to fill his stomach. Through the Nightmare Mark, he also found the space's own training ground, and realized that the advanced level of this training ground was at least several hundred years ahead of the real world. All-round training involved directly simulating a holographic enemy to fight against you. Apart from not being able to cause harm, the enemy was no different from a real martial arts master! Fang Senyan's two new abilities: Basic Melee/Grappling Specialization were quickly familiarized and integrated in this training, and time quickly passed in this training process.

During breaks in training, Fang Senyan also occasionally went to the market and once saw a Basic Ranged scroll priced at 1,500 general points. His dream of wielding a Desert Eagle and dominating the battlefield hadn't been shattered, and he couldn't help but want to trade equipment for it, but just as the transaction was about to be completed and he touched the item, a heartless reminder from the Nightmare Mark sounded in his mind:

Warning: Host's own gene code is suspected to be abnormal, and the compatibility with this Basic Ability Scroll is only 0.316%.

Warning: The probability of this scroll being ineffective is 99.718%.

Fang Senyan was stunned for a long time before canceling the transaction. He walked back to the training room with tears streaming down his face. The dream cultivated by Hong Kong gangster movies and CS in his childhood, like the fiery fantasies of his youth, quietly shattered in the face of cruel reality... Behind him came a curse:

"SB, get lost if you don't have money!"

However, Fang Senyan suddenly thought of something:

Since there was a possibility of extremely low compatibility with basic abilities, then of course there would also be a possibility of extremely high compatibility with basic abilities? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but start trying to find other basic ability scrolls, but unfortunately, basic ability scrolls seemed to be quite rare and had not been found. Moreover, the basic abilities officially sold in the space had always been those two and had never been refreshed.

A day later, when Fang Senyan was worrying about the general points on his body rapidly shrinking to double digits (mainly spent on using the space's training ground), the Nightmare Mark on his chest suddenly heated up and a very clear warning appeared:

You have stayed in the Nightmare Space for too long. There are 0 hours, 28 minutes, and 19 seconds left until the maximum limit of 30 hours. Please choose to enter the Nightmare World or return to the real world.

If you remain in the Nightmare Space after the maximum limit, general points will be deducted according to the time delayed. When the general points are 0, you will be forced to return to the real world.

Fang Senyan had vaguely guessed that he could return to the real world, but he had never had a clue. At this time, under the guidance of the mark, he came to a small door on the west side of the space. After walking in there, it was like an elevator. After the door closed, it formed a sealed space. Red lights flashed non-stop, and soon the Nightmare Mark sent information.

The equipment you obtained in the Nightmare World has been forcibly removed and stored in your personal space. It will be returned to you when you return to the Nightmare World.

In the real world, you must not disclose any information about the Nightmare World to ordinary people, whether actively or passively.

Try not to use the various special abilities you have obtained from the Nightmare World in the real world. Otherwise, it will create great hidden dangers. (Passive abilities are excluded)

After leaving the Nightmare World, you can only enter again after seven days.

When the Nightmare Mark heats up, you must return to the Nightmare World within twenty-four hours to accept a mission. The method of returning is to concentrate your mind on the Nightmare Mark as you walk down the stairs.

The time in the Nightmare Space is not synchronized with the real world.

Your talent ability: Tenacity (passive) is a hidden ability and has not yet been unlocked. You cannot obtain the effect of this passive ability in the real world.

Although this information didn't mention what would happen if these rules were violated, the meaning of strictness and coldness was obvious. Having seen the magic of this space, Fang Senyan would definitely not want to try the consequences of violating orders. After the message was sent, the small door opened again, and a dark and long staircase leading upwards appeared in front of Fang Senyan. He took a deep breath and slowly climbed the stairs. Soon, light came into his eyes. After walking up another flight of stairs, Fang Senyan suddenly gasped!

Dim and swaying lights, newly built concrete steps, and messy railings that hadn't been completely built! This was clearly the place where Fang Senyan had been chased so miserably and almost reached the end of his rope. The bloodstains on the ground were still there, and there were even clear scraping marks!

Fang Senyan suddenly understood. This should be the so-called phenomenon of unsynchronized time. This was the theory proposed by Einstein, which stated that if a spaceship flew at close to the speed of light, then time on the spaceship would slow down. If the speed could reach the speed of light, then the time on the spaceship would not be synchronized with the time on Earth. In ancient Chinese terms, one day in heaven is one year on Earth also theoretically existed.

Fang Senyan stood there in a daze, looking at the empty stairs below, and couldn't help but raise his hand to examine it. The experience of the past few days and nights now felt as unreal as a rippling dream. He was trembling slightly all over, with a bit of excitement about returning to the real world, but even more with a faint feeling of gain and loss.

Suddenly, noisy voices and curses came from below! Immediately afterwards, Fang Senyan saw a large group of people pouring into the entrance of the construction site. These people were covered in mud and water, looking quite embarrassed, panting as if they couldn't wait to stick out their tongues. They were also carrying ba leng knives, watermelon knives, steel pipes, wooden sticks, and the like in their hands. It was Hua Shanfei and those thugs who had walked all the way there. Coincidentally, Fang Senyan was standing under the lights at the entrance of the stairs, just like a lighthouse in the dark. Those people below had already regarded him as a thorn in their side, and those with sharp eyes recognized him at a glance, pointing and calling out excitedly and joyfully:

"That damn bastard is right there!"