How Am I Still Alive?

Chapter 20 - 20 13 This Chicken Soup is Extremely Precious

20: Chapter 13 This Chicken Soup is Extremely Precious 20: Chapter 13 This Chicken Soup is Extremely Precious The ground was paved with neat marble bricks, and the overhead lights were bright and beautiful.

The street leading to the entrance was not long but was packed with stalls on both sides.

There were fancy storefronts as well as bustling hawker stalls run by individual investors.

The crowd wasn’t too dense, but at first glance, there were at least a hundred or so people.

Some were shouting to attract customers, while others were quietly reading at their stalls, only looking up when someone approached.

“How much is this?”

Lu Ping’an pointed at a long sword on display at a stall.

Men always seem to have a certain interest in these kind of regulated weapons.

This particular sword had a faint blue glow around it, making it seem like a legendary divine weapon…

if it weren’t for the fact that there were a dozen others on the shelves behind it that were exactly the same.

“It’s 2600 per piece.

Even though it’s a standard issue, the attached [Piercing] effect is particularly suitable for beginners with insufficient attack power.

If you’re not leaning towards direct combat, we also have weapons with a [Bleeding] effect.

The downside is that the toll on the user is a bit heavier.”

The shopkeeper sized up Lu Ping’an.

Seeing the conspicuous absence of anything on his right wrist, his enthusiasm increased considerably.

“We also have protective equipment as part of a new player kit.

If you buy two items at a time, it’s just 4000.”

Did he really look that much like a newbie?

Lu Ping’an murmured to himself, politely declined, and put the long sword back down.

He didn’t know how to use a sword, and he didn’t want to be seen as a naive newcomer for others to take advantage of.

Even if the seller did offer a market price, there were too many items on the market that didn’t give you your money’s worth.

His limited startup capital had to be invested wisely.

“Spend all of the 3000 in hand.”

Looking at the bustling streets and hundreds of shops, Lu Ping’an was also quite surprised.

What did he expect the dangerous Secret Realm exit to look like?

Would it be heavily guarded with barbed wire and black-clothed men?

Or would there be posts every few steps, equipped with automatic guns and surveillance cameras?

“I didn’t expect it to be like a subway market.”

The entrance led to a corridor that twisted under the hospital subway.

With such a dazzling array of goods and shops, it was difficult to decide where to start.

“Over here, over here, Meow!”

Fortunately, he wasn’t alone.

Lei Shuiyun, who had disappeared as soon as they arrived, finally remembered her role as a guide.

The shop where she was standing was near the end of the road, and it was the reason for everything they saw.

“‘Is the Secret Realm a wealth?’…”

Looking at the omnipresent “New Red Cross” logo and the familiar holy emblem of the praying lady in the woods from Lin Ci Hospital, appearing in this underground world gave Lu Ping’an a sense of temporal dislocation.

“Two bracelets, Meow, one zero-order and one first-tier.”

“Little Shuiyun, you reached first-tier?

Congratulations, congratulations.”

Opposite the proud Meow was a girl in her late teens.

Her slightly mature, naive makeup and long white robe made her look like a university re

“Little Shuiyun says you’re aiming to establish your official position here, right?

Cultivating demonic plants takes a lot of time, and protecting them from harm is a significant responsibility.

Our company has a safety garden in here, and we offer a six-month internship package for clients, guaranteeing a successful one-time job establishment for only five thousand.”

“By the way, Junior, it’s your first time here isn’t it?

You should be unfamiliar with the creatures of the Secret Realm — this survival guide is only two hundred…

if you get the plant codex, consider the survival guide a free add-on!

I can also provide you with some painkillers and antidotes, which are very useful inside.”

Such a sequence of relentless sales pitches truly befit the team leader of a local corporation’s proxy group.

However, after further hesitation, Lu Ping’an reached for his wallet, purchasing the plant codex and survival guide.

These were always on his procurement list.

Knowledge-based professions like Gardener are required to have their own codices, even Taboo libraries.

As for the “half-year” job establishment package?

If his guess was correct, he probably wouldn’t need it.

Following his purchase, the other party’s enthusiasm had increased even more, addressing him as “Junior” with an almost criminal affection.

Now, it was Lu Ping’an’s turn to reveal his hidden weapon.

“Senior, you’re a 2-tier Gardener, right?

Actually, I have an interesting BUFF talent.

I’d let you try it at half price…”

Lei Huoren and Xia Qin were both busy, with not even enough time to offer buffs, so the available quota naturally could not be left idle.

Since he was about to begin his Gardener internship, changing his dividend recipient was also an option.

Zhao Ying hesitated.

Spending a few hundred wasn’t much, but could she casually accept such a messy BUFF?

But when she saw Meow, the cat behind Lu Ping’an, constantly mouthing and nodding the word “agree”, she agreed.

“Little Shuiyun probably wouldn’t trick me.”

The next moment, she froze, looking at Lu Ping’an with a more intricate expression.

“…The Sound of Rules, such a high-quality regulatory ability…How could it appear on a newbie?…Another monster newbie appears this year?”

But the very next second, shock replaced her surprise.

The red light on her wristband abruptly flashed, then switched to yellow, followed by green, turning finally into a “pollution-free” white light!

The “learning process”, which was originally expected to last at least three days, has suddenly ended in advance.

She can enter the Secret Realm again and begin a new round of upgrades.

Instantly realising what had happened, she quickly covered her wristband.

Looking around, she was relieved to see that no one had noticed.

When she raised her head and looked at Lu Ping’an again, her eyes showed a mix of unease and even fear.

And then, the fear turned into delight and even greed.

At this moment, Lu Ping’an, looking bemused, could not help but think back to a big cat’s complaints.

“…You have no idea what valuable treasure you have taken from me…”

It seemed like he indeed had something precious, and it seemed costly too.

“Ahem, stop looking, it won’t get any cheaper.

The quota is limited, we’ll charge the full price tomorrow, and it’ll continue to rise after that.”