Chapter 31: Fireball, Meditation, and Aiming!

"Attack facilities!" Xu Lang's eyes brightened.

"I can't believe things like this actually exist!" Cao Yaxuan exclaimed in surprise.

If they had these during the last round of the game, they wouldn't have had to fear the level-zero zombies at all. One shot, one kill!

The Swift Repeating Crossbows were hanging in rows. Xu Lang didn't rush to make a purchase, instead browsing through the other merchandise. The shop was filled mostly with blueprints: blueprints for heavy doors, water dispensers, sofas, double beds, and more.

Wang Ao and his group noticed Xu Lang but didn't come over to cause trouble; instead, they huddled together to deliberate. Only level-one dormitories could install attack facilities, and the Swift Repeating Crossbows were not cheap, making the question of how to purchase them a major issue. Wang Ao's team had grown to twelve people, but only three possessed level-one dorms; even by the most optimistic count, there were still three people who couldn't be housed in rooms equipped with attack facilities. Eventually, Wang Ao made the final call: whoever contributed the most money would get to live in a level-one dorm.

By the time they finished discussing, Xu Lang had already purchased two Swift Repeating Crossbows and was leaving. Wang Ao's expression shifted slightly, and he whispered to one of his henchmen, "Follow him and see what he bought!" The subordinate nodded and quietly trailed behind Xu Lang.

...

The Swift Repeating Crossbows were about a meter long with a primary wooden structure. Xu Lang played with them for a moment before having Tong Qi store them in her backpack. Any facility could only function within a dormitory, so carrying these two bulky items around was just a burden.

"Brother Lang, it was truly far-sighted of you to have us clear out our backpacks beforehand," Tong Qi said with a sweet smile.

"Every player upgraded their backpack slots; while it might seem like a cheap, basic necessity, it is actually an incredibly important spatial resource," Xu Lang replied.

Cao Yaxuan couldn't agree more; as a woman, she knew exactly how important having a little extra storage space was.

After finishing with the equipment and facility sections, the trio moved on to the skill section. The display cases here were filled with skill scrolls, all with hefty price tags. There was also a friendly reminder sign in this section:

[Friendly Reminder: Using active skills consumes stamina and mental energy. Using skills beyond your current level of mastery will result in severe depletion.]

One might be puzzled by this at first, but a quick look at a few skill scrolls made it clear.

[Fireball (Active Skill)]
[Type: Skill Scroll]
[Level: 1]
[Upgrade Requirement: 40 Nightmare Coins]
[Description: Consumes a small amount of mental energy to release a supernatural fireball.]
[Price: 3,999 Copper Coins]

...

[Low Kick (Active Skill)]
[Type: Skill Scroll]
[Level: 1]
[Upgrade Requirement: 35 Nightmare Coins]
[Description: Consumes a small amount of stamina to unleash a low kick with power far exceeding your own.]
[Price: 2,499 Copper Coins]

...

Some skills consumed mental energy, while others consumed stamina. While it was possible to use mental energy to substitute for stamina when releasing physical skills, the cost would be significantly higher. As for exactly how much stamina or mental energy a player had, the game provided no clear explanation. Although it was called a "Dormitory Survival Game," it differed from a truly data-driven game; there was no such thing as a "mana bar."

The skill section was crowded, and when people saw Xu Lang and his group approaching, they instinctively cleared a path. This treatment, akin to that of a local tyrant, left Xu Lang secretly satisfied.

The slightly more advanced skill scrolls in this section were unique—once purchased, they would disappear—so Xu Lang scanned through them quickly. He currently held the most copper coins and had to fully exploit his first-mover advantage. He needed to buy the highly practical skills as soon as possible to avoid them being snatched up.

Tong Qi and Cao Yaxuan could only watch longingly. Both women only had 1,000 copper coins, not enough to afford even the most basic skills.

Just then, Xu Lang saw Wang Ao’s group approaching from the facility section and hurriedly turned back to purchase a skill scroll from a display case. Wang Ao’s group had been bragging about Wang Ao awakening a fire-breathing ability. Combining a fireball skill with fire-breathing would likely result in a powerful mutation! Xu Lang had no intention of giving Wang Ao that opportunity.

*The rich leading the poor? To hell with that!* he thought. *If you get rich, you’ll expect me to stand on the front lines when danger comes!* Xu Lang wasn't that stupid. He intended to remain the top player in the Mad King's dormitory forever. Besides, he needed an attack skill himself. The Fireball spell might sound common, but its versatility should be quite high.

Wang Ao narrowed his eyes when he saw Xu Lang and began browsing the scrolls himself. Xu Lang noticed one of Wang Ao’s men staring at him, likely trying to see what he had bought. He immediately had Tong Qi and Cao Yaxuan stand on either side of him to block the view.

There were many excellent items in the skill section, making Xu Lang’s mouth water. After weighing his options, he purchased another skill scroll. Most scrolls in the section ranged from 2,000 to 12,999 copper coins, and the one he picked was the single most expensive item at 12,999 copper coins!

[Meditation (Active Skill)]
[Type: Skill Scroll]
[Level: 1]
[Upgrade Requirement: 45 Nightmare Coins]
[Description: Enter a meditative state to accelerate the recovery of mental energy. If mental energy is at maximum, it slowly increases your total mental attribute capacity.]
[Price: 12,999 Copper Coins]

After purchasing this item, Xu Lang’s massive fortune of 21,000 coins hit rock bottom. Unsatisfied, he borrowed money from Cao Yaxuan and Tong Qi. The two women had come to the supermarket in high spirits, only to end up buying nothing while handing all their money over to Xu Lang. With an extra 2,000 copper coins in hand, he secured a third skill scroll!

[Aim (Passive Skill)]
[Type: Skill Scroll]
[Level: 1]
[Upgrade Requirement: 30 Nightmare Coins]
[Description: Improves the accuracy of your throwing and shooting.]
[Price: 2,000 Copper Coins]

Xu Lang’s previous accuracy with his gun was purely due to the excellent handling of the Colt Viper. To truly become a sharpshooter, the Aim skill was indispensable.

Two Swift Repeating Crossbows for 4,000 coins, plus three skill scrolls for a total of 18,998—Xu Lang’s total fortune of 25,000 was now reduced to just over 500 spare coins. He was completely tapped out! Regardless, having gone on a spending spree, he didn't plan on leaving his room again anytime soon.

Xu Lang tore open the three skill scrolls in succession and learned the abilities. He felt a sudden clarity in his mind as new knowledge flooded in, accompanied by newfound muscle memory in his body. The sensation was incredible. He pulled out his Colt and gave it a few spins; it felt even better in his hand. "Let's go," he said. "Let's check out the lifestyle and entertainment sections. I’ll buy you anything you want."

"It's alright, we don't really want anything," Tong Qi said, scratching her cheek. The atmosphere turned awkwardly silent. Cao Yaxuan also remained quiet, staring down at her toes.

"No! You have to buy something!" Xu Lang insisted, patting his chest. "The items in the last two sections must be cheap; I can still afford them!" His mission for this trip was to spend all his money and then retreat, hiding away until the end of time.

"But what about our water and electricity bills? And the attack facilities also cost money to maintain," Cao Yaxuan reminded him quietly.

Xu Lang: "..."

Tong Qi smiled. "It's fine, let's just go take a look."

The items in the lifestyle and entertainment sections were indeed cheaper, especially in the lifestyle section, where clothes, hats, shoes, and bags were both low-priced and stylish. Of course, the better they looked, the more expensive they were. In the end, Xu Lang bought Cao Yaxuan a small gift—a perfume that cost 35 copper coins.

Deep within the entertainment section, two lottery machines were placed. One was silver-white, and the other was brass.

"Give me a win! Hit the jackpot! Come on!" A crowd was gathered around the brass lottery machine, shouting noisily.

Tong Qi’s eyes sparkled, and she seemed very interested. Xu Lang walked over. He had been fretting over how to buy a small gift for Tong Qi, and now, wasn't the perfect opportunity right in front of him?