CHAPTER 18: Did someone curse me??.
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When Yin Zhe heard that, he sighed like someone carrying ten bags of sand. He thought "one spirit crystals is equivalent to ten gold coins.. one gold cain breaks to 10 silver coins. The same principle goes for bronze"
"Ten crystals… okay… okay…" he whispered. "At least it's not a hundred."
He slowly pulled out the crystals. like he was pulling teeth out of his own mouth. He placed them on the desk. Clink… clank… clink…
He stared at the crystals like he was saying goodbye to old friends.
The attendant picked the crystals and nodded. "Thank you, sir."
She reached under the desk and brought out a small iron key with a number carved on it.
She slid it across the counter.
"Your room number is 009."
Yin Zhe entered his room and quickly closed the door. Thud. He didn't stop there. He locked it too. Click. Then he pulled the lock again to make sure it was fully locked. Clack clack.
"Hmmm… good. Nobody should disturb me, now" he muttered.
His room wasn't big, but it was warm enough. The faint sound of wind outside brushed the window. Whoosh…
Yin Zhe didn't even sit down first. He pulled out all the books and scrolls from Elder Han Zhen's gifts and placed them on the small table. One by one, he spread them out. Some scrolls rolled open by themselves with a light sound. Flutter…
He took a deep breath.
"I have a lot to catch up on… tsk…" he said slowly. "My situation… the competition… and most importantly the system."
He sat down on the bed and started reading the scrolls. His eyes moved left and right. Rustle… rustle… he read as fast as he could.
Most of them carried the Iron Vein Spirit Palace symbol. A mark that looked like a hammer hitting a star. He touched it and felt a little energy under his fingers.
"So this is their symbol," he whispered.
The scrolls explained the Shattered Star Competition rules. How many stages there were. How many people were allowed in. The risks and rewards.
Yin Zhe's face tightened.
"Hmm… these people are not playing," he muttered. "If you lose, you leave. If you win, they drag you into the palace. Tsk… what a drag."
Yin Zhe rubbed his forehead. He looked stressed out.
Then he checked the bag again and found a small bottle. It was cold to the touch. He lifted it up and read the label.
"Spirit Essence Pills," he muttered. "At least I know what this is for… well who doesn't"
He knew they were for cultivation. Something to help the body absorb energy faster. Instead of gathering spiritual energy from spiritual grounds. All he has to do is get this pill and reduce the stress. to ake the process faster.
He placed the bottle to the side.
Then he inhaled deeply and pushed everything away from him. He closed his eyes.
"Alright… time for the main thing…" he whispered.
He opened the system interface.
Ding… flash…
A faint blue and golden light appeared in front of him like a blue floating screen with golden edges.
He stared at the numbers.
[Golden Tickets: 8]
[Reactive Points (RP): 10,028]
Yin Zhe clicked his tongue.
"tsk… soo much, I don't feel like spending it. but. I think. I need to spend these things… or I won't understand anything about the system. If I die because I didn't use my own items… tsk… shame will kill me again after death."
He rubbed his chin.
"And this system… the way everything works… it's like a gambling machine… it's not even hiding it at all. They should call it a 'Gambling System,' not 'Reactive System.'"
He shook his head slightly. But instead of acting scared, he got on his knees. And knelt perfectly straight. "Time for my secret earthly ritual. Something this world can never comprehend. Tsk"
He took one deep breath. His Qi flowed. Because his Nine Breath Cycles reactive technique was always on..
A loud sound was suddenly heard.
THUD!!!
Yin Zhe had purposely hit his forehead on the floor.
"Buddha! Zeus! Anybody up there!! Bless me oooh!!" he shouted.
The sound echoed out of the room. Thud!. Thud!. Thud!. He knocked his head again and again. His palms on the floor. While in a kneeling position.
He didn't even care if the other guests in the inn heard him. Neither did he care if someone thought he was crazy.
"This world is hard!" he shouted again. "Heaven, give me something good!!"
He stood up again with a dramatic gasp. "hmph.. okay… okay… let's go."
He placed all 8 golden tickets into the system slot machine interface. At once. They floated inside like cards dropping into a box. Flutter. clack. Slip.
He grabbed the virtual lever and felt the energy vibrating. A warm feeling like pressure moved through his fingers.
He whispered, "Please… let me get at least one good thing…"
Then he pulled the lever. Chhhrrr… KRAK- click- click!. The reels of the slot machine began to roll, it was spinning with loud metallic clicks. Tick, Tick, tick.
Yin Zhe felt His heart racing.
"Come on… come on… come on…" he muttered to himself.
The first result slowed down with a loud sound…
DING!
"Better luck next time."
Yin Zhe's face dropped.
"Hpmh… okay… okay… one bad draw only," he told himself. He bent again "the power of the great budha is unfathomable"
The reels began to spin again for the next golden ticket. Then.
DING!
"Better luck next time."
"Ahhh??. Already??" Yin Zhe almost fell back on the bed. "What type of nonsense luck is this??. Did someone curse me??. Wait this system wants to trick me again?."
He pulled his hair a little. Then he slowly calmed himself down.
The third spin rolled.
The glowing symbols danced across the reels. His eyes didn't blink at all. He stared at it with wide eyes.
DING!
"Lucky you… Echo Body Reactive Skill (passive)."
"OH??... Huu. Huu. Yessss" Yin Zhe stood up so fast the bed shook. Tremble!.
He pointed at the screen. "Finally!! Something gooood!. Something useful!. Yesss"
He clenched his fists passionately.
"Echo Body… hmm… sounds strong… sounds cool too…" He began pacing around the room. "Maybe it helps with attacks… or movement… or something crazy… I'll be sure check it later…"
Before he could finish thinking, the machine spun again.
DING!
"Better luck next time."
Yin Zhe froze.
"…Why?.. why.. this system.. what are the odds"
He placed a hand on the wall. "Why me…?"
The fifth spin rolled loudly. KRAK-KRAK-KRAK!
DING!
"Better luck next time."
"hmph…" Yin Zhe's jaw tightened. "If this thing was alive. Like a living being. Or if it even had a physical form, I would beat the machine myself."
The Sixth spin.
DING!
"Better luck next time."
He sat down slowly and stared into a empty space.
"I'm getting robbed," he whispered. "This is robbery. Spiritual robbery. It's also robbing the little sanity I have left. How many brain cells have I lost at this point. If this was a novel even the readers would have lost some brain cells by now. Well it's a good thing that this world is real and not some novel reincarnation. That means I can't be hated or ridiculed by the reader... hehehe. Why would something this crappy even be a novel. Only an author high on weed could write these stuff.. tsk.. tsk.. it'll be a miracle if the reader doesn't track him down and break his leg at some point.. hehehe" he brought his attention back to the system.
The seventh spin had now started glowing brightly. Yin Zhe held his breath.